A century from Steven Mullaney was the highlight on the second day of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Hampshire on the Isle of Wight.

The Notts captain made the most of some indifferent catching by the hosts to reach his 14th first class hundred, getting there from 165 balls, having hit 13 fours and two sixes.

Mullaney scored 102 in his side’s first innings score of 239 all out, a deficit of 71. The 32-year old received solid backing from Matt Carter, who added 14 in a ninth-wicket partnership of 80.

Fidel Edwards, Kyle Abbott and Keith Barker each took three wickets.

There was just enough time left at the end of the day for the home county to make three for the loss of Joe Weatherley, an overall lead of 74.

Earlier, Hampshire were dismissed for 310 in their first innings, with Luke Fletcher recording figures of four for 79.

Resuming from their overnight position of 288 for six, they lost their last four wickets inside the first 35 minutes of the day.

Fletcher picked up three more scalps, removing Ian Holland, Barker and Edwards to go to 15 championship wickets for the season. His burst brought him three for 12 from only 3.3 overs.

Holland edged behind for 27, after a stand of exactly 50 with Aneurin Donald. Barker departed for a second-ball duck, snicking to Carter at second slip, who needed two grabs before holding on.

Edwards drove to Joe Clarke at cover for one. Stuart Broad took the other wicket to fall, having Donald caught behind for 46.

Ben Duckett opened Nottinghamshire’s tally, driving Edwards down the ground for four, before clipping him through midwicket for a second boundary.

Edwards was replaced by Barker after bowling just three overs and the former Warwickshire left-armer struck immediately, uprooting Duckett’s middle stump for 19.

Abbott, who was unbeaten on six at the end of the Hampshire innings, then had Ben Slater caught behind for nine, with the ball seeming to pop off a good length and brush the edge.

Mason Crane, called into the match as an official sub for Liam Dawson – called up for England’s World Cup squad – bowled the final over of the morning session and leaked four runs as Notts reached lunch on 55 for two.

Abbott’s two strikes in the early part of the middle session soon reduced the score to 72 for four, with Chris Nash and Joe Clarke departing.

Nash mistimed a drive to mid-on for 10 and Clarke was bowled for 29.

Jake Libby was fifth out, trapped lbw by Barker for four.

Tom Moores joined his captain in a sixth wicket stand of 79 that featured the first six of the match. Mullaney was dropped  on 24 by Weatherley at slip off Abbott and in the next over Moores swung Crane over the midwicket ropes.

A loose delivery from Edwards broke the stand, with Moores clipping firmly down the leg-side and into the gloves of Alsop for 34.

Fletcher was given out lbw to Barker for two and Broad was bowled by Edwards for one, leaving Notts on 166 for eight at tea.

Carter was a willing listener as Mullaney took charge of their ninth wicket partnership. A ‘game within a game’ took place for 20 minutes or so, with Hampshire dropping the fielders out, inviting the set batsman to take singles, which were refused.

Mullaney reached his 50 from 113 balls, then celebrated by launching Crane for the second maximum of the day.

Hampshire’s catching was far from convincing, with chances going begging when the England Lions international was on 49 and on 80 but a second six off Crane took him to an outstanding hundred.

Carter’s vigil ended after 105 minutes at the crease as Edwards pinned him lbw.

Mullaney then gave Holland a simple caught and bowled offering to bring the innings to a close.

Notts had a couple of unsuccessful lbw appeals late in the day before umpire Millns found in favour of Fletcher to send back Weatherley for two.

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