UZMAN AFZAAL wasn't the only one to lose his way on a crazy day's cricket at the Rose Bowl.

There were more navigational problems than Little Red Riding Hood in deep dark wood as Hampshire eventually emerged from a day on which 15 wickets fell, 223 ahead of Nottinghamshire.

Hampshire threw a shoe-in match-winning position away, still held a strong one, but failed to cash in on that to leave things delicately poised.

The day began with Afzaal being told by the England selectors that he would not be needed to face Australia, and him packing his gear and paying his hotel bill.

Eighty miles to the south-west, Adie Aymes had no doubts about his direction as he took 30 minutes to garner the 14 runs needed for his eighth first-class century for Hampshire.

In the process of assembling his 155-ball knock which included a five and ten fours over two-and-a-half hours, he inched Hampshire towards a fourth batting point, but a refusal to take a couple of quick singles with Alan Mullally proved costly as Hampshire werre bowled out three shy.

By this time, Afzaal was leaving St John's Wood, unaware that he needed to put his foot down like Michael Schumacher as Hampshire ripped through Nottinghamshire.

It was like the Blair Witch Project as Nottinghamshire got completely lost, disorientated and panic stricken as they slumped to 74-9 inside 29 overs of carnage.

Hampshire were taking all the frustrations of their defeat against Sussex and doing unto others as they had done unto them.

Again, no one man did the damage as the wickets were shared around democratically.

There appeared to be little wrong with a pitch on which Aymes had batted with concentration, and as if to prove the point Richard Stemp joined Chris Read in a last wicket stand of Custer-like desperation, with a two-day finish distinctly on the cards.

Afzaal had got himself lost in London and then in south Hampshire and Nottinghamshire were forced to use 17-year-old substitute Bilat Shafayat.

But if Afzaal was the man England didn't want, Read and Stemp ensured he was the man Nottinghamshire didn't need in an amazing tenth wicket stand.

Having reduced Nottinghamshire to tatters, Hampshire suddenly looked as though they had got bored taking wickets.

Nottinghamshire were a distant 124 from making Hampshire bat again when the last pair came together but they made a nonsense of what had gone before.

Batting sensibly and eliminating risk-taking, they first doubled the score and Hampshire's bowlers this time lost their way, Stemp set a new career-best, passing the 65 he made against Durham and the follow-on was saved at 198 on a Chris Tremlett wide.

A desperation measure to save runs by pushing Derek Kenway down to the long-off boundary proved a master stroke as Stemp eventually holed out off Neil Johnson.

His 80-ball 65, including ten fours, allied with Read's 132-ball 76 (11 fours) for a 135-run partnership in 26 overs, five runs short of the highest tenth wicket partnership against Hampshire, set by Glamorgan's Rodney Ontong and Robin Hobbs in 1981.

Of course Hampshire would have settled for a 138-run first innings lead at the start, but it was like settling for Babycham when champagne had been offered.

Nottinghamshire fought back again with with Logan taking two wickets as Hampshire lurched to 42-3 before Derek Kenway and Neil Johnson stretched the lead, with Kenway reaching his 50 just before the close.