Hampshire go down as Durham enjoy winning goodbyes

Durham 361 (Richardson 99*, Clark 58, Stokes 50, Wheal 4-39, Dawson 4-100) and 297 for 4 (Stoneman 137, Borthwick 88) beat Hampshire 411 (Vince 92, Smith 90, Dawson 62, Adams 53) and 245 for 9 dec (McManus 67, Pringle 7-107) by six wicketsScorecard

For Hampshire, the equation was simple, but the task was not. They had 78 overs to take 10 Durham wickets, but managed just four. As a result, they will play their cricket in Division Two in 2017.

The Ageas Bowl pitch, spitting and spiteful on day one, had not deteriorated enough, and Durham’s departees Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick signed off in style, with 137 and 88 respectively, in a simple six-wicket win.

In the latter part of this partnership, the remaining Hampshire fans – so full of optimism after an outstanding opening day – were thumbing their Who’s Whos and their Playfairs researching which of the second tier’s delicious outgrounds (will we get Arundel? Or Tunbridge Wells? Or even Cheltenham?) they could visit next year, and trying to work out how a 10-team Division Two will even work.

Either way, they will be back: “See you in spring,” they said on the final shirt-sleeve day of the summer, and off they went, having been wished a Happy Christmas by the ground announcer. What a world.

How Hampshire toiled, but to no avail. They began the year unable to score runs, and end it still beset by injuries and still struggling to take 20 wickets. Mason Crane took the only wicket of consequence, Keaton Jennings’ famous season ending trapped plumb in front by a turner, before Stoneman and Borthwick bedded in to add 162.

There were chances, but they were hardly clearcut: lbw appeals turned down, and edges not finding the men round the bat, while Stoneman twice – to reach 50, then on 67 – drove millimetres over James Vince’s head peddling back from …

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