Lancashire complete innings victory

Alex Davies' century helped Lancashire to their crushing win

That left Lancashire the victors by an innings and 30 runs after playing some of their most impressive cricket of the season which lifted them to second place in the first division, 14 points behind Essex.

James Anderson took one wicket and Kyle Jarvis two on the final day but the former Hampshire all-rounder Ryan McLaren once again reminded his former employers of what they had lost by taking two of the last three wickets to finishing with 3-41 to add to his century in Lancashire’s only innings.

Lancashire collected a maximum 24 points and Hampshire five.

Seventy minutes’ play was lost to rain in the first session but the home bowlers still took two wickets to leave the visitors on the brink of defeat at lunch.

Hampshire were 81-7 when the players came in, with Lewis McManus unbeaten on 12 and Gareth Berg on seven .

The visitors needed a distinctly improbable 117 to make Lancashire bat again.

The first wicket to fall was that of nightwatchman Matt Salisbury, who edged Anderson’s fifth ball of the day to Dane Vilas at first slip.

The rain set in 15 minutes later but soon after the 12.30 resumption Sean Ervine inside-edged Jarvis onto his leg stump and departed for 13.

In the afternoon, McLaren’s fourth leg before appeal in a few overs against Lewis McManus elicited a favourable response from Paul Baldwin, when the batsman was on 18, and in his next over the medium-quick bowler had Kyle Abbott caught down the leg side for 11. He gloved a short ball to Alex Davies.

The game ended when Gareth Berg was also caught down the leg side off Jarvis for 49, having hit eight fours in his 71-ball innings and defied the Lancashire bowlers for 98 minutes.

Anderson finished with 4-20 from 15 overs, while Jarvis returned 3-49.