CLOSE - HAMPSHIRE (444 AND 12-0) LEAD WORCESTERSHIRE (289) BY 167 RUNS

The development of James Tomlinson's inswinger has helped Hampshire to remain in the race for the Championship title.

Tomlinson took 5-78, his second-best first-class analysis, as Hampshire established a 155-run first-innings lead against relegated Worcestershire at Kidderminster.

Shane Warne's bullish 30-ball 46 ensured maximum batting points for only the second time this season, and a first-innings total of 444, after Hampshire resumed on 349-5.

But 25-year-old Tomlinson's performance was the highlight of the second day and the perfect response to talk of Hampshire signing Simon Jones for next season.

Tomlinson's career-best analysis for Hampshire remains the 6-63 he took against Derbyshire four years ago.

This is his 18th Championship appearance, but only the sixth since that day at Derby at the end of the 2003 season.

Tomlinson has been beset by rib and calf injuries since then but is a far better bowler for the development of his inswinger last year.

It helped him take three of his five wickets yesterday, including the prize scalp of Graeme Hick, who made the mistake of playing across the line before succumbing to Tomlinson's movement on a flat wicket.

Left-arm quick Tomlinson claimed his first wicket in his first over when rookie Daryl Mitchell nicked a prod forward.

Tomlinson's bouncer was also in evidence and accounted for Worcestershire's other opener when Stephen Moore got the faintest of top edges to an attempted hook.

But it was after swapping ends that Tomlinson used his inswinger to trap Hick, Gareth Batty and Ray Price lbw.

The movement he generates through the air makes him a different proposition entirely to the season before last, when he found that pace and bounce was not enough against first-class batsmen in batter-friendly conditions.

Tomlinson's dismissal of Hick reduced Worcestershire to 88-5, but a spirited stand of 122 for the sixth wicket between Steven Davies, a Kidderminster lad, and new signing Abdul Razzaq restored some pride to the reply.

Razzaq was dropped on 13 - the ball hit Michael Lumb in the chest at slip - in the fourth over before tea from Warne.

The Pakistani crashed the last ball of the afternoon session back over Warne's head for six and smote the Hampshire captain for another maximum over the players' dining room at cow corner before his eventual departure for 78 ended the Worcestershire innings.

Warne ended Razzaq's partnership with Davies when the latter was caught at short leg to become the Hampshire captain's first victim since his recovery from a rib injury.

A frustrating 48-run last-wicket stand between Razzaq and Muahammed Malik, who scored his 20 runs in boundaries, wasnot enough for Worcestershire to make the 295 they needed to be sure of avoiding the follow on.

But Warne has a policy of not enforcing the follow-on, like many Australians since their 1981 Ashes defeat at Headingley.

He has never done so as Hampshire captain, not even when his side established a 369-run first innings lead against the same opponents at the Rose Bowl last month.

With more sunshine at Kidderminster expected during the next two days, he has time on his side to oversee the win that would keep Hampshire in touch with the rest of the Championship contenders.