HAMPSHIRE slipped further adrift of of the LV County Championship’s promotion pack after their Gloucestershire gamble failed to pay off.

Captain Jimmy Adams deserves credit for forfeiting Hampshire’s first innings, sacrificing the chance to accrue bonus points and another three for an almost certain draw, so his side could try and chase down 411.

But it was a big ask. Following Adams’ discussions with Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger, the visitors declared at 410-9 and forfeited their second innings, leaving Hampshire with five sessions to achieve what would have been the second highest successful run chase in the county’s history. Not since Hampshire made 464 against the same county at Northlands Road in 1990 have they made so many in the final innings of a Championship match.

Klinger insisted the strength of home side’s batting line-up made the match evenly balanced, but Hampshire succumbed under significant scoreboard pressure.

It needed at least one of the top order to make a century, as Adams himself did when Hampshire last chased down 400-plus to win a match, against Yorkshire at Headingley seven years ago.

Sadly, the tone was set once Adams nicked his second ball, the first victim of a profitable afternoon for Will Gidman (4-46).

Michael Carberry (32) and Liam Dawson (27) put on 60 for the second wicket. But Dawson nicked to former Hampshire teammate Benny Howell at point and James Vince was caught behind down the leg side as Hampshire lost four wickets for 11 runs.

They slipped to 88-6 when Sean Ervine followed before lower-order resistance from Adam Wheater (38), Dimi Mascarenhas (41) and Sohail Tanvir (37) delayed the inevitable.

A sensational diving catch by Jamie Fuller on the run at deep mid-wicket accounted for Wheater and he completed the rout by bowling Mascarenhas after Dorset’s David Payne had struck twice.

Manager Giles White, speaking after a lengthy team meeting, said: “The risk was worth taking, it was a chance to get 16 points, but we were well short in the end.

“We gave ourselves an opportunity and weren’t good enough.”

Essex were bowled out for just 20 against Lancashire yesterday, the Championship’s lowest score for 30 years, but Hampshire took fewer points from their defeat following the sacrifice of a potential eight points.

The loss leaves them further adrift in the promotion race.

With the four-day season now at the midway point, Hampshire realistically need at least three wins from their last eight games to win promotion.

White admits: “We’re behind the eight-ball at this stage but we’ve got the second half to come and back-to-back wins makes a huge difference. We’ve got to up our game and make sure this is just a blip.”

Hampshire’s players will have the weekend off ahead of Derbyshire’s visit in the Yorkshire Bank 40 on Tuesday night.

They will be looking for their first Championship win in seven attempts when they play their next four-day game away to Glamorgan next month.

“I’m very comfortable with where the team is as a group, we’re still developing,” added White.

“We’ll be back in the nets with intensity on Monday."