Debutant strikes with first ball but Hampshire have day to forget

The 32-year-old ex-Worcestershire fast bowler dedicated his wicket – the visitors’ only breakthrough – to his late father on his return to first-class cricket.

But Andrew, who has signed for Hampshire on a match-to-match basis, conceded that Dale Benkenstein’s men will need to improve if they are to salvage anything from the game – following a sorry batting collapse.

Andrew said: ‘Lancashire bowled really well and obviously we didn’t bat as well as we’d have liked to.

‘We need to stay in the game so we’ll be fighting.

‘It was a dream start for me to take a wicket with my first ball and hopefully my old man was looking down.

‘I lost him only four weeks ago so it’s been a tough time but it’s been great to have the opportunity to get back into first class cricket.’

Winning the toss and batting first on a hot and sunny day in Manchester, Hampshire struggled to score runs from the get go.

England bowler Jimmy Anderson took the first wicket of Jimmy Adams for just five, before Steven Croft produced the moment of the day when he slid to stop a James Vince drive at mid-on and unleash a low throw which ran out the England hopeful for 0.

As an audition for gaining his first Test cap, it couldn’t have gone worse for Vince in front of the watching England coach Trevor Bayliss.

And things were soon going just as badly for his side as Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson fell to successive balls from Neil Wagner.

When Will Smith was strangled down leg side by Luke Procter for 18, Hampshire were left 57-5 at lunch.

And worse was to come after the interval when Croft produced another piece of brilliant fielding to dismiss Ryan McClaren for four with a stunning diving catch at mid-on.

Debutant Andrew followed soon after, edging a short-pitched delivery from Kyle Jarvis, with Tino Best becoming Anderson’s third victim.

At the other end, Adam Wheater battled hard to get Hampshire over 100 but when he played on to his wicket off Procter for 32, the game was up for Hampshire as James Tomlinson lasted just five balls before also chopping on from Procter who finished with 3-14.

Lancashire were soon making a mockery of their opponent’s 109 score.

A confident start saw openers Karl Brown and Haseeb Hameed reach 53 together before Brown was out lbw for 40 to Andrew.

But for the rest of the afternoon, Lancashire asserted their dominance with Hameed (41 not out) and Procter (28 not out) both playing watchful innings as the hosts ended on 157-1 – a lead of 48.