Tredwell to the fore

James Tredwell © Getty Images

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Off-spinner James Tredwell undermined the Hampshire batting at the Rose Bowl with four quick wickets to leave Kent in a powerful position after two days of the LV County Championship Division One clash.

Hampshire were a perilous 186 for seven at stumps, needing a further 160 to avoid the follow-on in reply to Kent’s first-innings total of 495 - as their title hopes faded fast.

Hampshire’s attack, weakened by the absence of Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas - away on England Twenty20 duty - were given a torrid time in the field as Kent built greedily on the flying start made on the first day.

Kent resumed on 342 for five but lost centurion Martin van Jaarsveld without adding to his overnight 112.

Geraint Jones and Tredwell, however, each hit half-centuries as the inexperienced Hampshire attack wilted under the barrage.

Jones made 63 before edging a delivery from James Tomlinson into his stumps and Tredwell scored 62 before providing occasional bowler James Adams with only his third wicket of the season.

Ryan McLaren weighed in with some powerful blows in an unbeaten 35 and the Kent total might have been even more formidable but for a prolonged spell of bowling from Hampshire's captain Shane Warne.

Shane Warne's 45-over stint yielded figures of 4-134 as Kent posted a daunting 495

Warne, still attempting to overcome a rib injury, bowled almost 45 overs to finish with 4-134.

Last man Martin Saggers provided Warne with his 50th wicket of the championship season when he was leg before on the back foot.

Hampshire began their response promisingly enough with Michael Carberry and Michael Brown putting on 79 for the first wicket without apparent concern.

But then Carberry was lbw to Tredwell for 46 and Hampshire fell away without resistance.

Shortly after passing 1,000 runs for the season for the first time in his career, Carberry lofted Tredwell to mid-off where Darren Stevens held a comfortable catch.

The rest fell like a procession, with Adams bowled by Tredwell and Simon Cook dismissing Michael Lumb and Nic Pothas without scoring in each case.

Chris Benham and Sean Ervine gave Hampshire some respite with a stand of 29 for the sixth wicket before Benham lifted McLaren to mid-on where Stevens again held an easy catch.

When Ervine edged Tredwell to wicket-keeper Jones, Hampshire were in deep trouble at 139 for seven, but then Warne was joined by David Balcombe, making his championship debut.

Warne and Balcombe put on an unbeaten 47 for the eighth wicket to see Hampshire through to stumps.

Tredwell ended the day with a creditable 4-46 from 23 overs to leave relegation-threatened Kent in the ascendancy with two days to go.