Best goes wicket-less but helps tail wag

SOUTHAMPTON, England, CMC – Barbados and ex-West Indies speedster Tino Best ensured Hampshire’s tail wagged but then went wicket-less as Middlesex made a steady reply on a rain-hit second day of their County Championship game here Monday.

Resuming the day on 315 for seven, Hampshire were eventually dismissed for 336 in their first innings, nearly three-quarters of an hour into the day’s play.

Liam Dawson, unbeaten on 86 overnight added just three before giving England seamer Steven Finn his second wicket of the innings but Best smacked an unbeaten 23 to hand Hampshire precious runs at the end.

Unbeaten on eight overnight, the right-hander entertained with a massive straight six off pacer Tim Murtagh as wickets fell around him.

Best then kept things tight with the new ball, sending down seven overs for just 19 runs as the visitors made it to 84 for three, before rain ended play prematurely.

Dawid Malan top-scored with a breezy unbeaten 40 from 52 deliveries.

The 34-year-old Best is making his debut for Hampshire as a replacement for the injured ex-Windies pacer Fidel Edwards, who underwent surgery on a broken ankle last week.