Udal turns on the style to tie Notts up in knots: Happy Hampshire relish their first Championship triumph in 17 matches

Hampshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355 and 256-9 dec

Nottinghamshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 and 154

Hampshire win by 169 runs

WHEN Nottinghamshire had lost seven wickets in reaching 111, alias 'Nelson', the bad luck number for the superstitious, a Trent Bridge Taverner suggested drily: 'Something really awful might happen now.' It did. Nottinghamshire provided Hampshire with their first Championship win in 17 matches, since beating Sussex at Arundel last July, with the off-spinner, Shaun Udal, exposing some infirm batting with 5 for 74 to return match figures of 10 for 171.

Udal, in Hampshire's estimation, is suffering from a wrecked action inflicted by England's top coaches at Lilleshall last winter. They have written to Lord's about the matter. It begs the question what precisely he would have done to Nottinghamshire if his technique had been unaltered and confidence not undermined. They were not so much ushered out of early doors from 11 for 3, but made a dash for them, losing at 2.50pm.

Chris Cairns, backed by Mark Crawley, braving a twisted ankle, had entertained them with an innings of 64 from 120 balls, confirming he is a better 'buy' than Chris Lewis, his middle-order compatriot.

Cairns, an all-rounder in every sense with colours firmly nailed to the mast, was last out, hoisting a catch to midwicket. He has pledged himself to the county for two more years and wants to stay much longer. Looking even at the New Zealander's batting average of around 50 this season, Nottinghamshire would agree with his sentiments.

For Hampshire, victory was a huge relief, and an unexpected comfort. They entered the match at the bottom of the table playing the second-placed team and lacked Malcolm Marshall, Robin Smith and Mark Nicholas, their captain, who finished it as a substitute fielder.

Doubtless, Nicholas surreptitiously directed affairs, an unusual role for 13th man, with the 12th, Cardigan Connor, already on the field. Nicholas scarcely needed to run a team for which everything went right from the moment Paul Terry won the toss.

Tim Robinson, of Nottinghamshire, has lost it in all five Championship games. He confesses to being unaware what to call next, apart from 'you might as well bat first, everyone else has'.

On the final day of an absorbing game, Nottinghamshire did not really bat anyway. Ian Turner, slow left arm, supported Udal admirably as five wickets fell to catches at or close to the wicket.

Paul Johnson and Greg Mike, given out caught by Tony Middleton at short leg, tramped off unconvinced but this was a down-in-the-mouth Nottinghamshire display compared with a startling, bouyant one from Hampshire.