CLOSE: HAMPSHIRE WERE BOWLED OUT FOR 272 IN REPLY TO LANCASHIRE'S 207 ALL OUT

Points: Hampshire (9) Lancashire (8)

Hampshire and Lancashire settled for a draw after playing for bonus points at the Rose Bowl today.

Stuart Clark finished with 7-82, the best figures by a Hampshire bowler for six years, and Dimitri Mascarenhas made a brisk 74, his highest championship score for two seasons, against an attack including the England trio of James Anderson, Sajid Mahmood and Andrew Flintoff.

Anderson and Mahmood, both hoping to be in the England side for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's on Thursday, took three wickets each as Hampshire were bowled out for 272 in reply to Lancashire's 207 to end a rain-affected four days.

Shane Warne and Lancashire captain Mark Chilton had a now infamous fall-out in the corresponding fixture on the final day of last season, when the latter refused to set Hampshire a target to chase.

Although the circumstances were different following the loss of 261.2 overs to rain during this match, Warne admitted he had again discussed setting up a possible run chase with Chilton this morning.

The Hampshire captain said: "It was disappointing not to set up a finish, both of us would have liked to have got a game going but there were a few issues we couldn't agree on so unfortunately it didn't eventuate and it was just a points game.

"To have had four full days with the sun shining would have been fantastic but it wasn't to be, which was a shame for everybody."

After resuming on 159-6, Lancashire lost their last four wickets to Stuart Clark this morning before Hampshire opener Michael Brown (18) had his middle and off stumps uprooted by a yorker from Anderson, his former Burnley CC teammate, three overs before lunch (28-1).

Then Mahmood accounted for the left handers Jimmy Adams (16) and Michael Lumb (3) in successive overs at the beginning of the afternoon session.

Adams was caught by Mal Loye at short leg after fending off a short ball (57-2).

And Lumb was pinned lbw while playing across a straight delivery that kept low (61-3).

Former Lancashire captain John Crawley (40) was trapped lbw by Anderson after putting on 46 in nine overs with Chris Benham (107-4).

And in the next over Nic Pothas (0) was dismissed for the first time this season in the championship, caught behind for a four-ball duck after being squared up by Glenn Chapple (108-5).

Chris Benham (46 from 69 balls) played beautifully during an innings that included seven fours and a spat with Anderson, before he slashed a Mahmood delivery to Andrew Flintoff at second slip (156-6).

Flintoff was unfortunate to be wicketless following a first spell of 6-0-19-0 just after lunch in which he had Crawley dropped off an inside edge on 37.

But after Mascarenhas reached his fifty from 51 balls in the second over of the final session, Chapple bowled Warne (12) as the Hampshire captain attempted to pull a ball that kept low (199-7).

Clark (12) sliced Chapple to Paul Horton at cover six overs later (219-8).

And Mascarenhas (74 from 103 balls) was finally out to a stunning catch from Brad Hodge on the run from gully.

Hodge ran 25 yards and then dived full stretch to hold on to a two-handed catch after Mascarenhas, whose innings included seven fours and a straight six against the slow left arm of Gary Keedy, top edged an attempted square cut (247-9).

The stumps were drawn when James Bruce (16) was trapped lbw by Keedy at 5.30pm, with Chris Tremlett unbeaten on a run-a-ball 14 (272 all out).

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Clark had recorded his best figures in the county championship as Hampshire bowled Lancashire out for 207 before lunch.

In only his second championship outing for Hampshire, Clark recorded his best figures in the competition, having taken a previous best 5-61 in one of his 12 appearances for Middlesex in 2005.

Clark needed only six overs to finish off Lancashire this morning.

He had Glen Chapple (17 from 21 balls) caught behind in his second full over of the day (181-7).

And in his next over he dismissed both Luke Sutton (37) and James Anderson (0).

Sutton lost his leg stump via an inside edge after a tentative prod forward (190-8).

And two balls later, Clark claimed his sixth wicket when Anderson was caught by Warne at second slip (190-9).

During his haul, Clark was also hit for two wind-assisted sixes over fine leg following top-edged pulls from Chapple and then Mahmood (13), who brought up Lancashire's first bonus point with his maximum hit, before being trapped lbw (207 all out).

Hampshire bowling: Clark: 23.3-6-82-7, Bruce 18-4-63-2, Mascarenhas 10-3-21-0, Tremlett 8-3-10-0, Warne 3-0-11-1

Lancashire bowling: Anderson 16-0-83-3, Chapple 20-2-65-3, Mahmood 14-0-69-3, Flintoff 9-1-25-0, Keedy 4.3-2-22-1