Bruce and Clark wreak havoc before play is abandoned

You have to go back nearly three years for the only other time Shane Warne has fielded first after winning the toss at the Rose Bowl.

On that occasion, Hampshire lost by 384 runs to Essex and Warne has since adopted a policy of 'win toss, bat first'.

But after losing the first day to rain and with more inclement weather forecast, Warne decided to field first when he called right yesterday morning.

He was soon rewarded as James Bruce and Stuart Clark sliced through Lancashire's top order, before more rain brought a premature end to the day at 1pm.

Bruce removed the openers Paul Horton and Mark Chilton in his first four overs before Clark dismissed Mal Loye and Brad Hodge.

With the first delivery following a change of ball in the second over, Horton (3) was caught by Michael Brown at short leg (6-1).

Then Chilton (9), having been felled by a brute of a ball from Clark in the seventh, top edged an attempted pull in the next over and was caught by Nic Pothas (21-2).

Chilton ducked into a Clark bouncer that struck him on the jaw, but it was Bruce who claimed his wicket.

Bruce and Chilton, both former Durham UCCE graduates, are also good pals and the Hampshire seamer capitalised on Clark's work by claiming the wicket of his friend in the following over.

Having been softened up by the Australian, Chilton skied the ball to Pothas to hand Bruce his wicket for the third time in his last three matches against Hampshire.

Bruce was clearly delighted with the scalp of the Lancashire captain, which helped him to an impressive spell of 7-2-21-2.

Then it was Clark's turn to capitalise on the seam-friendly conditions.

Mal Loye (13) was caught at point by Chris Benham after slashing outside off stump in the next over (28-3).

And in his next over, the 11th, Clark accounted for his Australia World Cup teammate Brad Hodge (4), who was caught by Michael Lumb at first slip (31-4).

It was clear that Warne had made the right decision in inserting Lancashire.

You could excuse Jimmy Adams and Brown for not relishing the prospect of opening in the wet conditions against James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood, with the prospect of Andrew Flintoff to come.

As Flintoff trotted down the stairs for his first championship innings against Hampshire for seven years, rain forced the players off the field for the first of three stoppages.

When rain interrupted for a second time after five more deliveries, the England star walked off the field before umpires Alan Jones and Nigel Llong had had time to consult, and a third and final downpour meant an early lunch was taken at 1pm - and no play thereafter.

Only three periods of play lasting 50, three and 30 minutes were possible. With more rain forecast today, it is difficult to see how Hampshire can win this one.

There is already a sense of anti-climactic déjà vu to this match as when this fixture was last played, in the final week of last season, it had the potential to be a title decider.

But Hampshire were out of the running by the time it began and during it Sussex ended Lancashire's hopes by winning at Nottinghamshire.

The absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Kevin Pietersen , and the awful weather, has dampened interest in this match.

But if there is any prospect of setting up a finish on the final day, when the weather is expected to improve, regulars will hope there is no repeat of the farcical scenes at the end of last season, when Chilton decided not to set Hampshire a target after Sussex had clinched their second championship in four years at Trent Bridge.

Warne responded by lobbing and throwing the ball from a standing start as the match meandered towards a draw.

Hampshire bowling: Clark 9-2-24-2, Bruce 7-2-21-2,Mascarenhas 2-0-9-0