Hampshire celebrate as Manny Lumsden strikes • Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images
Hampshire 304 (Lehmann 133*, Pennington 3-60, Stone 3-67, Sheat 3-78) and 61 for 6 (Stone 3-15, Pennington 3-18) need a further 117 runs to beat Nottinghamshire 377 and 104 (Lumsden 5-36, Jack 3-17)An astounding crash of wickets either side of lunch at Trent Bridge seemed to preface the upset of the season but would not relinquish their status as champions so easily.In the space of 13 overs, , stuck at the foot of the County Championship table and 73 behind on first innings, transformed Nottinghamshire's 13 without loss to 47 for 6, of which 17 were extras. , who turned 21 on Wednesday, swept aside the top three in 17 balls and 17-year-old , on debut, had two in his first seven.After Scott Currie joined the destruction, Lumsden, with pace and lift, then swept away three more in 13 balls to return 5 for 36 in 104 all out, leaving Hampshire to reach 178 for a third win of the summer. But the fun had only just started.Roused, Notts reduced them to 11 for 4 when Jake Lehmann went for 2 after his unbeaten first-innings 133, his Championship best, and it became 27 for 6 when two fell on the same score. By the time bad light halted frantic proceedings at 5pm, the unbroken seventh-wicket stand had lowered the target to 117.There was more life than on Wednesday in a pitch that had perhaps started to crack and both and claimed three wickets in seven-over new-ball spells. Felix Organ top-edged a swipe to be held at a tantalising second attempt at mid-on by Pennington, who then had Nick Gubbins and Toby Albert in three overs.Albert, driving, was outstandingly taken low down at backward point by Sam Seecharan, a substitute fielder, on a day when no chances escaped amid the high tension. Lehmann, cutting and top-edging, followed as Stone reprised the bowling that brought him 10 for 94 in Nottinghamshire's last win, against Surrey three matches ago.When Nottinghamshire had batted again 35 minutes from lunch 173 overs stretched ahead, turning thoughts to when their declaration might follow and how generous a target they could risk. Cricket always mocks presumption. Haseeb Hameed had in fact soon gloved the muscular Jack behind for 5 and Freddie McCann miscued him to third man for 4 as the carnage commenced.
Currie removed Liam Patterson-White from a top-edged pull and, after 28 had come in a counter-attacking six overs, he straightened one to bowl Fraser Sheat for 16. Not so for Nottinghamshire. Notts had earlier grasped their third and final bowling point with 16 balls to spare after Hampshire resumed their first innings on 267 for seven with ten bonus-point overs remaining. Should they win, the bonus-point element could yet be critical for Notts, four behind leaders Somerset, but would look academic for Hampshire if they lose.
