Cricket: Solid Hampshire in control

HALF-CENTURIES by Robin Smith and Adrian Aymes enabled Hampshire to shade the honours on the opening day of the County Championship match against Glamorgan at Swansea yesterday.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat on an easy paced wicket, Hampshire completed a workmanlike day with the bat by reaching 299 for 6 before bad light stopped play 25 minutes early.

Hampshire fought back solidly from the early loss of Derek Kenway and Jason Laney. Kenway was lbw, half forward to the final ball of Steve Watkin's fifth over and Laney, who had played and missed several time outside off stump from Simon Jones, was beaten by one that nipped back and flicked the off bail.

Smith and Will Kendall then shared a third-wicket partnership of 92 in 26 overs while showing a marked contrast in approach. Smith struck eight boundaries in reaching his sixth championship fifty of the season off just 55 balls. He hit two more fours to move onto 63 from 87 deliveries before he was caught behind trying to cut.

Smith was the first of three victims for the neglected England off-spinner Robert Croft, who also accounted for Kendall and John Stephenson. Aymes was unbeaten on 73 at the close.

A one-man judicial commission was established yesterday to investigate match-fixing and gambling allegations against Pakistan's World Cup team.