Hampshire hat-trick hero [Getty Images]
A stunning spell of bowling from Mohammad Abbas has put Hampshire on track for victory over Middlesex at the Ageas Bowl.
Bowling at the Hilton hotel end of the ground, the Pakistan quick ripped through the Middlesex top order with a brilliant hat-trick, bowling full and fast to expose the poor footwork of the visiting batsmen.
Abbas, currently out of favour with the Pakistan selectors, struck with his fifth, sixth and seventh deliveries en route to figures of 6-11 from 11 overs to leave the 2016 champions staring down the barrel of a second successive LV= Insurance County Championship defeat following last week's dispiriting loss to Somerset.
Seamer Brad Wheal chipped in with 3-4 as Middlesex were bowled out for 79 - their lowest score against Hampshire for 65 years - in response to Hampshire first innings total of 319.
But perhaps mindful of losing to Essex four years ago after enforcing the follow-on but more likely to give his seamers a rest, skipper James Vince opted to bat again as the hosts closed the day 444 runs in front with Sam Northeast, 99, and Ian Holland, 90, unbeaten at the close following a 202-run stand.
Hampshire earlier added 38 runs to their overnight total, led by Kyle Abbot's fighting 58, with Steve Finn wrapping up the tail before lunch to post figures of 4-95 in his first red-ball appearance in almost two years.
But any hope Middlesex had of posting a challenging response were dashed after just six overs when they slumped to 14-5 - with Abbas taking all five wickets - and at one stage boasting figures of 5-3 from four overs.
Shell shocked
Max Holden was the first of his victims, before Nick Gubbins departed first ball.
Captain Steve Eskinazi then edged behind to Lewis McManus for a duck from the opening delivery of Abass' second over to present the 31-year with his maiden first-class hat-trick.
Robbie White and Martin Andersson were then trapped lbw without scoring by Abbas as a shell shocked Middlesex went to lunch at 23-5.
Sam Robson, a centurion last week at Lord's, became Abbas' sixth wicket when he was caught behind for 18 shortly after the restart before Abbott rearranged Toby Roland-Jones' s stumps four balls later.
Wheal then ran through the visitors' lower order with only spinner Nathan Sowter showing any signs of resistance with an unbeaten 24.
Hat-tricks in First Class cricket are relatively rare, but Abbas’s was the third Hampshire treble in a very short space of time.
Last August at Arundel, James Fuller performed the hat-trick to set up an innings victory for Hampshire over Surrey in the Bob Willis Trophy, while in the final Vitality t20 Blast match of the season at the Ageas Bowl, Pakistan left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi took four wickets in four balls with Middlesex once again the victims …
Bowling at the Hilton hotel end of the ground, the Pakistan quick ripped through the Middlesex top order with a brilliant hat-trick, bowling full and fast to expose the poor footwork of the visiting batsmen.
Abbas, currently out of favour with the Pakistan selectors, struck with his fifth, sixth and seventh deliveries en route to figures of 6-11 from 11 overs to leave the 2016 champions staring down the barrel of a second successive LV= Insurance County Championship defeat following last week's dispiriting loss to Somerset.
Seamer Brad Wheal chipped in with 3-4 as Middlesex were bowled out for 79 - their lowest score against Hampshire for 65 years - in response to Hampshire first innings total of 319.
But perhaps mindful of losing to Essex four years ago after enforcing the follow-on but more likely to give his seamers a rest, skipper James Vince opted to bat again as the hosts closed the day 444 runs in front with Sam Northeast, 99, and Ian Holland, 90, unbeaten at the close following a 202-run stand.
Hampshire earlier added 38 runs to their overnight total, led by Kyle Abbot's fighting 58, with Steve Finn wrapping up the tail before lunch to post figures of 4-95 in his first red-ball appearance in almost two years.
But any hope Middlesex had of posting a challenging response were dashed after just six overs when they slumped to 14-5 - with Abbas taking all five wickets - and at one stage boasting figures of 5-3 from four overs.
Shell shocked
Max Holden was the first of his victims, before Nick Gubbins departed first ball.
Captain Steve Eskinazi then edged behind to Lewis McManus for a duck from the opening delivery of Abass' second over to present the 31-year with his maiden first-class hat-trick.
Robbie White and Martin Andersson were then trapped lbw without scoring by Abbas as a shell shocked Middlesex went to lunch at 23-5.
Sam Robson, a centurion last week at Lord's, became Abbas' sixth wicket when he was caught behind for 18 shortly after the restart before Abbott rearranged Toby Roland-Jones' s stumps four balls later.
Wheal then ran through the visitors' lower order with only spinner Nathan Sowter showing any signs of resistance with an unbeaten 24.
Hat-tricks in First Class cricket are relatively rare, but Abbas’s was the third Hampshire treble in a very short space of time.
Last August at Arundel, James Fuller performed the hat-trick to set up an innings victory for Hampshire over Surrey in the Bob Willis Trophy, while in the final Vitality t20 Blast match of the season at the Ageas Bowl, Pakistan left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi took four wickets in four balls with Middlesex once again the victims …
