Adams grinds down Essex in rain-wrecked affair

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Hampshire 241 for 4 (Adams 87) v Essex
Scorecard

Jimmy Adams missed out on his first Specsavers County Championship century of the season as bad light frustrated both Hampshire and Essex at the Ageas Bowl.

Opening batsman Adams began his innings at 11.30am on the first day and reached a slow-paced 87 runs before he was finally dismissed at 3.10pm on the third day.

"It was a hard slog," he said. "I wouldn't teach my kids to bat like me."

But overcast conditions created light issues for the second day in a row to allowed only 28 overs to be bowled on Sunday - meaning 135 overs had been lost to bad light in the match, in addition to 81 overs to rain.

Adams and Hashim Amla had batted wonderfully during the morning session, having returned on 57 and eight respectively overnight.

Batting was again tricky, despite the older ball, with dark clouds hanging over the ground with the floodlights turned on throughout the day.

South African star Amla provided the shot making, while Adams dropped anchor as he took 20 minutes to get odd the mark for the day.

Amla scored his first Hampshire half century at the Kia Oval last week against Surrey and continued in his usual classy style to record another milestone - coming off 80 chanceless deliveries.

Meanwhile, Adams was enjoying a battle with fast bowler Jamie Porter - with balls regularly speeding past the outside edge.

Porter managed to find the 37-year-old's edge, when on 62, but Alastair Cook spilled the regulation chance at first slip -before the morning action was curtailed to just 23.2 overs.

Play eventually recommenced at 2.45pm, just two overs into the new ball.

And the fresh ball worked wonders for Porter and Peter Siddle as Amla fell to the latter in the first full over following the return to the wicket.

Australian Siddle set-up his fellow overseas, with shrewd swing bowling, as he found exaggerated movement in both directions, before catching the outside of the bat before wicketkeeper James Foster completed the catch off the last ball of the over.

Amla departing for a well-made 52, with the wicket ending a 93-run partnership for the third wicket.

Porter then managed to end Jimmy Adams' 264-ball, and almost six hour, stay at the crease with an angled delivery coming around the wicket to pin the left-hander lbw, for a patient 87.

The half an hour mini-session earned Essex an impressive analysis of 18 for two in 29 balls but that was all the action possible after 3.15pm.

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