HAMPSHIRE have a must-win final match of the season at Warwickshire next week after one of the most extraordinary defeats in the county’s history.

Two days after enforcing the follow-on, Hampshire were bowled out for 76 - their lowest total for 18 years - by county champions Essex.

Only twice before have Hampshire lost after enforcing follow on - in 1866 and, in 1992, against the last Essex team to win the Championship.

Essex, who began the final day on 247-5,were finally bowled out for 362 to ensure Hampshire needed 185 in 67 overs.

Within two hours, Essex had secured a dramatic victory  - two days after being skittled for 76 themselves.

Rookie Sam Cook finished with 5-18 - his maiden first-class five-fer in his third Championship match.

Hampshire’s chase got off to the worst possible start when Joe Weatherley (1)was lbw in Sam Cook’s first over.

Bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Tom Alsop (10), Jamie Porter found the outside edge as Hampshire lost three more wickets with the score on 12.

Taking a similar angle to Jimmy Adams (1), Cook uprooted the off stump when the veteran left-hander left a ball that held its line.

Another off stump was sent cartwheeling by Cook’s spectacular late inswinger to George Bailey (0).

Five overs later, Porter trapped Sean Ervine lbw for five after continuing to angle the ball into the left-hander.

Cook had his fourth wicket when James Vince (8) was lbw in the next over.

Simon Harmer made the next breakthrough with his first ball, a big off-break that beat Liam Dawson all ends up.

After an eighth-wicket stand of 13, the joint highest partnership of the innings, Gareth Berg nicked Neil Wagner to third slip.

Kyle Abbott sliced to cover point in the New Zealander’s next over and it was all over when Fidel Edwards nicked behind against Cook. 

Earlier, James Foster and Neil Wagner put on 82 runs for the ninth wicket to give Essex an excellent chance of preserving their unbeaten record.

Wagner was eventually caught on the mid-wicket boundary, before Foster was lbw to Abbott.

Little more than two hours later, Wagner took two of the last three Hampshire wickets as Essex completed only their fourth victory after following on and their first since 1999.

It means Hampshire have to win their last game of the season against already relegated Warwickshire to avoid joining them in the Specsavers County Championship’s second division.

Hampshire have a 13-point advantage over second-from-bottom Somerset, who lost at Surrey today.

Somerset play Middlesex, who are only three points above Hampshire, while Yorkshire are not out of the mire either.

Head coach Craig White said: “It’s now a huge game next week, we’ve got to dust ourselves down and try and get a positive result.

“With the format this year - 25 per cent of the division going down it was always going to be a bunfight. 

“We hoped we wouldn’t be in it but we’re in it now. We’re in a real battle. It’s a very harsh division, probably too harsh. 

“We can get out of it but Warwickshire will want to finish the season on a high so the boys need to turn up.”

SCORECARD
Hampshire second innings

J Weatherley lbw b Cook 1
JHK Adams b Cook 1
TP Alsop † c †Foster b Porter 10
JM Vince lbw b Cook 8
GJ Bailey (c) b Cook 0
SM Ervine lbw b Porter 5
LA Dawson b Harmer 10
IG Holland not out 16
GK Berg c Chopra b Wagner 9
KJ Abbott c Browne b Wagner 5
FH Edwards c †Foster b Cook 11
Extras 0
TOTAL 76 all out (29.4 Overs)
     Bowling: JA Porter 8-2-21-2, SJ Cook 11.4-6-18-5, N Wagner 6-0-17-2, SR Harmer 4-0-20-1 
     Fall of wickets:1-1 (JJ Weatherley, 1.4 ov), 2-12 (TP Alsop, 6.3 ov), 3-12 (JHK Adams, 7.2 ov), 4-12 (GJ Bailey, 7.6 ov), 5-25 (SM Ervine, 12.3 ov), 6-29 (JM Vince, 13.3 ov), 7-37 (LA Dawson, 20.1 ov), 8-50 (GK Berg, 23.5 ov), 9-56 (KJ Abbott, 25.4 ov), 10-76 (FH Edwards, 29.4 ov)