Hampshire made 281-7 after winning the toss

Hampshire have had their problems with the bat this season, but Sean Ervine is probably the best number seven in the LV= County Championship.

Who would you rather have coming in at five wickets down? Somerset’s Peter Trego is a feisty competitor and Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate stunned Hampshire with bat and ball in the opening match of the season.

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose contributes consistently and Adil Rashid has batted very well for Yorkshire this season.

But they all lack Ervine’s classy batsmanship and no other first division number seven comes close to the former Zimbabwe all-rounder, who has batted for the team whenever he has found himself stuck with Hampshire’s long tail this year.

Yet to finish an innings unbeaten in 2010, Ervine never plays for his average.

He is the ultimate team man and he rescued his teammates again on the opening day of Hampshire’s LV County Championship match against Somerset, finishing the day on 75 not out after putting on 158 for the sixth wicket with Nic Pothas.

It must be tempting for Giles White to promote Ervine to Hampshire’s problem position at number three, but two of the left-hander's three Championship hundreds have been at seven, where he continues to be a reassuring presence.

After continuing their record of winning the toss before every game this year, Hampshire lost three wickets before lunch.

Openers Michael Carberry (8) and Jimmy Adams (1) have been Hampshire’s form batsmen this year but they were back in the hutch within the first 11 overs after an outstanding opening spell from wily left armer Charl Willoughby (8-3-8-2).

Liam Dawson had an early chance to justify the decision to recall him in place of the out-of-form Chris Benham and after Carberry edged an attempted cut, he added 46 with Neil McKenzie.

But Dawson (28) was dropped on eight by James Hildreth at second slip and was lbw sweeping in leg spinner Michael Munday’s first over, the last before lunch.

At least McKenzie produced his highest Championship score for Hampshire. He added 49 with James Vince before the Hampshire starlet followed a Willoughby delivery angled across him.

Vince is desperate to make one of his starts count and kicked the ground in frustration when he was out for 26.

McKenzie (48) added ten in as many overs with his former Gauteng teammate Nic Pothas before chopping on an attempted cut.

Ervine and Pothas then scored at four an over while sharing Hampshire’s second biggest partnership of the season.

Had Ervine lost his wicket early Hampshire would have been in serious trouble as they are without Kabir Ali, who failed a fitness test on his injured knee yesterday morning.

But he and Pothas produced when it mattered, both registering their highest scores of the season.

They were never going to threaten Hampsire’s record sixth-wicket partnership against Somerset; that will surely always remain the 411 shared by Major Robert Poore and Teddy Wynyard at Taunton in 1899, Hampshire’s second highest first-class stand.

But their alliance was vital to Hampshire’s chances of the win that would lift them off the foot of the table.

What would Hampshire do without the ever-reliable Pothas? Captaincy is never easy for a wicketkeeper but he has done his best in difficult situations in the absence of Dimi Mascarenhas and showed his strength of character during his 87 (137 balls).

It included 12 fours and three sixes – two solid pulls when Munday dropped short and a lofted maximum against slow left armer Arul Suppiah, who was also pulled for six by Ervine.

Sadly, the alliance did not last as Hampshire lost two late wickets to the steady seam bowling of journeyman Ben Phillips.

With three overs of the day remaining, Pothas top edged an attempted pull and with no addition to the score, Dominic Cork edged the last ball of the day to second slip.

But with Ervine still there, Hampshire will hope to make 350.

Somerset bowling: Willoughby 28-14-39-3, Wright, 17-1-54-0, Phillips 22-9-38-2, Trego 9-0-38-1, Munday 9-1-54-1, De Bruyn 5-0-26-0, Supiah 6-2-25-0