HAMPSHIRE batsman Will Kendall hit the first double century of his career as the championship match with Sussex ended in a draw at Southampton.

Hampshire, shot out for a paltry 76 in their first innings and forced to follow on 299 behind, amassed a formidable 570-6 before declaring. It was their best-ever second innings total, beating the 534-7 declared made against Essex in 1913.

Kendall was out for 201, his previous championship best being 105 - although his best first class score was 145 for Oxford against Cambridge in the 1996 Varsity match.

Kendall was 85 not out overnight at which stage Hampshire were three wickets down and still 49 in arrears.

Giles White shared in a match-saving stand of 176 with Kendall for the fourth wicket before he became only one of three wickets to fall throughout a long day in the field for Sussex.

White scored 77 when he edged Mark Robinson to wicket-keeper Nick Wilton in the bowler's first over of the day.

But it proved to be Sussex's last success for another 143 runs as Adrian Aymes kept pace with Kendall in a dominant fifth-wicket stand.

Kendall batted in total for eight hours and hit 32 boundaries and was awarded his county cap as he left the field for tea by club chairman Brian Ford and his captain Robin Smith.

Kendall was out soon after tea, bowled around his legs by left-arm spinner Umer Rashid attempting to sweep.

Sussex's only other success came at 528 when Dimitri Mascarenhas, who had hit two sixes in a rapid 28, pulled a short delivery from Justin Bates to square leg where Richard Montgomerie held the catch.

By now Aymes was nearing his first century of the season and with Shaun Udal as his partner he duly accomplished the task.

He celebrated by hitting a four and a six in the next over from Rashid to take his score to 111 not out before Hampshire declared 271 ahead and with only ten overs remaining.

A jubilant Kendall said: "I knew when I'd scored 85 overnight that I needed to get at least as many again if we were to avoid defeat.

"Once I had reached my century I settled down to bat out the remainder of the day and Sussex did not bowl as well as they had done the previous day.

"I was delighted to have got my county cap. It is a milestone for any cricketer and to get it as you come off the field having just got 200 is very special."

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