Ryan McLaren stepped into the breech once again to save Hampshire with an unbeaten 84 in the first English County Championship match of the season.
McClaren was drafted in as an emergency replacement late last season as Hampshire battled against relegation. He made an immediate impact by taking seven wickets and scoring 30 runs in his first match, and on Sunday he was providing the backbone once again against Warwickshire.
Under the new system, in which the toss is optional, Warwicks, as visitors, had the choice of whether to bat or bowl, and sent Hants in under grey skies.
It proved a wise move as Hampshire crashed to 87-7 until McLaren and Reece Topley put on 51 for the eighth wicket.
McLaren was playing with confidence, striking at a rate of 61 at one stage. He carved out 10 fours off the 147 balls he faced, showing what a bit of commitment can do. At the close, Hampshire were 189-8.
Elsewhere, Keaton Jennings, son of Ray, scored the first century of the season on day one as Durham laboured their way to 256 against Somerset. He almost carried his bat, seventh out on 244.
It was a valuable contribution, especially so as Somerset fell to 30-3, with Roloef van der Merwe padded up and preparing to make his mark on Monday.
Riki Wessels got his season off to a good start by running up 81 off 83 balls (14×4, 1×6) as Nottinghamshire raced to 446 on day one against Surrey at Trent Bridge.
Perhaps it is just as well there was no place at this stage in visitors’ team for their two new young South African signings, Mathew Pillans and Conor McKerr.
Richard Levi and Rory Kleinveldt had a day of leisure as their Northants teammates piled up 296-2 against Sussex. That was due mainly to Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 178.
Gareth Roderick, the Durban-born batsman who started his first-class career with KZN in 2011, has this season been given the captaincy of Gloucestershire, where he has been since 2012. It obviously sits easy on his shoulders, for he ended unbeaten on 88 off 172 balls against Essex at Chelmsford.
Glos ended on 262.
Compiled by Mark Salter
