HAMPSHIRE DREW WITH KENT AFTER CLOSING ON 275-5 AFTER 89 OVERS, HAVING BEEN SET 461 TO WIN

Points: Hampshire (9) Kent (7)

Hampshire extended their championship sequence at Canterbury to seven matches without a win after a third successive draw today.

You have to go back to August 1994, when Hampshire manager Paul Terry was still playing, for the county's last first-class victory here.

But no fewer than SIX dropped catches, and the loss of five overs to rain this morning, at least helped Hampshire ensure they did not lose.

Kent fast bowler Yasir Arafat was given little support by his slip cordon, but still dismissed four of Hampshire's top five to give the home side hope, before Michael Lumb departed to the first ball after tea.

Then Dimitri Mascarenhas (33*) and Sean Ervine's unbroken 91-run partnership for the sixth wicket helped Hampshire towards the four points for a draw that keep them fifth in the championship table.

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After resuming on 18-0, opening batsman Jimmy Adams (31) and Michael Brown (24) were both dismissed by Arafat this morning as Hampshire were reduced to 77-2 after 25 overs.

Brown was well caught by a diving Geraint Jones after hanging his bat loosely outside off stump (58-1).

And Adams was trapped lbw by a yorker-length delivery from the Pakistani eight overs later, having been dropped on 24 and 30 by second slip Martin van Jaarsveld off Arafat and then Cook.

LUNCH: HAMPSHIRE WERE 87-2 FROM 29 OVERS (CRAWLEY 10*, LUMB 7*)

Lumb was dropped twice before adding to his lunchtime score.

Andrew Hall put down a chance at first slip off Ryan McLaren and the diving Van Jaarsveld was guilty of his third drop of the day at second.

The ball flew through the hands of the South African to the boundary for Lumb's first runs of the afternoon session in the 12th over after lunch.

Lumb must have used up his luck for the season when, with 21 to his name, Hall put him down again at second slip off James Tredwell's off spin.

But John Crawley (38) was not so fortunate and became Arafat's third victim, caught by Joe Denly, when he fended off a bouncer to short leg (151-3).

Four overs later, it was a case of third time lucky for Hall when he finally held on to a chance at first slip to give Arafat the wicket of former Kent batsman Michael Carberry for 6 (171-4).

TEA: HAMPSHIRE WERE 184-4 (LUMB 48*, ERVINE 10*) AFTER 60 OVERS

Kent were given fresh hope when Lumb was caught behind after edging the first ball after tea from Hall (184-5).

But in the third over with the new ball, and with 12 remaining, Geraint Jones dropped Dimitri Mascarenhas on 19 to deny Arafat his tenth wicket of the match.

With that, Kent's hopes all but disappeared.

There was time for Sean Ervine (56*) to reach his highest championship score since September 2005 before hands were shaken with six overs remaining.

Kent bowling: Yasir Arafat 23-4-90-4, Hall 16-4-47-1, Tredwell 19-3-53-0, Cook 13-7-13-0, McLaren 13-5-41-0