Twelve-wicket Liam Dawson produces perfect performance to thrash Middlesex

Dawson had scored 141 in Hampshire's only innings – as they hammered Middlesex by an innings and 61 runs inside three days – before taking 6 for 40 and 6 for 90 in an extraordinary outing

Ageas Bowl: Hampshire 419, Middlesex 150 & 208 - Hampshire win by an innings and 61 runs

Liam Dawson completed the greatest LV= Insurance County Championship performance of his career by becoming only the fourth Hampshire player to score a century and take 10 wickets in a match.

Dawson had scored 141 in Hampshire's only innings – as they thrashed Middlesex by an innings and 61 runs inside three days – before taking 6 for 40 and 6 for 90 in an extraordinary outing.

His career-best match figures of 12 for 130 enters him into an exclusive club of just 19th-century players Arthur Ridley and Francis Lacey, and Charlie Llewellyn in 1901. Worcestershire's Jack Shantry was the last to achieve the feat in the Championship nine years ago.

The victory, which saw Hampshire bowl Middlesex out for 150 and 208, keeps them hanging on in the title race, and further boosts Dawson’s Ashes credentials.

It was Hampshire's fourth victory of the season, as they took 21 points away, while Middlesex looked destined to drop into the relegation zone with their solitary point.

Kyle Abbott rattled through the Middlesex tail, with the two outstanding first-innings wickets falling within five-morning overs.

^{Liam Dawson ran through Middlesex twice in the match (Warren Little/Getty Images)}

Tom Helm shouldered his arms to a delivery which swung then seamed into his off stump before Josh de Caires was the victim of more inwards movement that thudded into his pads.

Middlesex bowled out for 150, 269 behind, asked to follow on, and still without a Championship centurion this year.

Second time around they survived almost 13 overs before collapsing.

Dawson ended the first innings with six for 40, his best at the Ageas Bowl, bettering the 6 for 61 he had taken against Northamptonshire in the previous Championship match at home.

Having been introduced in the 12th over in the first innings, James Vince threw him the ball in the 11th this time around before striking in the 13th to start a 21-ball avalanche of wickets.

Dawson bookended the spell with Sam Robson leading edging to second slip and Mark Stoneman popping a reverse sweep off his glove to first slip.

In between, Barker had Pieter Malan failing to go through with a shot and toeing to mid-off and Max Holden brashly advancing and edging to first slip. There had also been time for Stoneman to be dropped at short leg as the visitors sagged from 40 without loss to 51 for 4.

Ryan Higgins was proactive in dragging his side out of their malaise with regular advances at the spin bowlers and reverse sweeps in his eight boundaries.

^{Ryan Higgins fought a lone hand for Middlesex (Warren Little/Getty Images)}

He reached a 59-ball fifty in a 78-run stand with John Simpson but fell for 54 when he reversed Dawson to first slip.

Dawson brought up his 10th wicket in the match, for the second time in his career, when Luke Hollman was well caught at wide mid-off by Mohammad Abbas.

It was only the second 10-wicket haul of Dawson's career, after his 10 for 139 against Essex last season. His 20 wickets this season have come at 17.75, half his career average.

Simpson and de Caires had frustrated Hampshire for just over an hour either side of tea but the unlikely leg-spin of Nick Gubbins produced a delivery Shane Warne would have been proud of to castle de Caires – Gubbins' maiden Championship wicket for Hampshire.

After Simpson fell for 49 when he strangled Fuller behind, that man Dawson rounded things off Roland-Jones was struck on the pads and Tom Helm was stumped. The six-fer was the third in a row for Dawson at the Ageas Bowl, having never previously taken more than five wickets in an innings on his home ground.

Related Topics

• ECB requests £500,000 fine and points deductions for Yorkshire