Lancs on brink of Hampshire win

County Championship D1, Rose Bowl, day three (close):
Hampshire 327 & 130 v Lancashire 295 & 34-0

Scorecard

Flintoff is showing form and fitness after returning from injury

Andrew Flintoff helped Lancashire close in on victory over Hampshire and also enhanced his hopes of a call-up to the England Test side to face South Africa.

Flintoff, who hopes for a recall for the second Test, took 2-37 in two lively spells totalling 11 overs.

He dismissed Sean Ervine and Nic Pothas as Hampshire were dismissed 130 in their second innings.

That left Lancashire needing just 163 to complete victory and they finished day three on 34 without loss.

Hampshire had taken a 32-run lead into the final day after restricting their rivals to 295 after Lancashire had resumed on 229-5.

The home side's captain Dimitri Mascarenhas picked up 6-67 as he earned his best figures for two years by mopping up the tail.

But he soon saw his side in trouble as they were reduced to nine for two in the first four overs.

Michael Carberry was out to the third ball he had faced for the second time in the match without scoring.

Flintoff took a catch in the slips off to help dismiss John Crawley off Dominic Cork's bowling before grabbing his brace of wickets.

Ervine edged to second slip off the all-rounder and, despite Stuart Law failing to clutch the catch, Paul Horton snapped up the rebound.

A superb Flintoff delivery then uprooted the middle stump of Pothas as Hampshire collapsed.