Unblemished Lancashire face a trip to 2nd place Hampshire in the LV County Championship

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Last year’s Bob Willis Trophy finalists have enjoyed two wins from two this season and will look to make it three from three as they take on a Hampshire side coming off the back of a demolition job against Kent.

Hampshire have remained consistent performers in the County Championship since their return to division one in 2015, though have failed to capture top-level glory in first-class cricket since 1973. After a bruising defeat against Surrey in week two, Adrian Birrell’s side bounced back with a thumping win of their own in Canterbury to keep themselves in the upper echelons of the table.

Keith Barker continued his remarkable start to the season as the left-handed medium-paced bowler claimed six wickets in his best innings of the campaign so far as Hampshire went on to win by an innings and 51 runs. A single wicket in the second innings moved the 35-year-old former professional footballer onto 14 first-class wickets in 2022. James Vince also got his season on track after a shaky start, scoring 111 in Hampshire’s last outing.

As for Lancashire, their spell in division two ran as recently as 2019, and this season will present their first undisrupted division one season since 2018. However, after losing out to Warwickshire in the final of 2021’s Bob Willis Trophy, Glen Chapple’s side will be hoping to go one better and claim the County Championship crown for the first time since 2011.

Not to be outdone, Hasan Ali claimed nine wickets in Lancashire’s dominant victory over Gloucestershire at Old Trafford, and already moves to 13 wickets in just two games. With bat in hand, it has been the middle order that has proven decisive in their two games so far this season, with South African Dane Vilas scoring a ton in his two outings so far (124 & 109).

With the weather set to hold up in the high teens, everything should be set for four immense days of cricket between two of the best sides in the country. League leaders Surrey face a winless Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium in week four, so the importance of a win for either side will not be lost on the coaches and players alike, as they will deem it imperative Surrey do not build a sizeable lead.

Both sides have proven potent with bat in hand, with Lancashire averaging over 500 and Hampshire scoring 652 in their innings against Kent. However, both teams also boast in-form bowlers in their attack, and as such a hugely entertaining four days of cricket is to be expected.

Hampshire have just one first-class win over Lancashire since 2014, so will look to break the omen in front of the Southampton crowd as April draws to a close. As for the visitors, their game in hand means that their destiny is still very much in their hands at this early stage, but the red roses will be intent on not losing the initiative to Hampshire and Surrey alike, with a tough run of fixtures to follow as well.

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