Johnson and Pothas see Hampshire to safety

Hampshire were indebted to Neil Johnson and Nic Pothas for saving their side from an innings defeat at the hands of Warwickshire at Edgbaston, batting for some 160 minutes, spanning 42 overs to save the day.

When play started an hour late due to heavy overnight rain, Hampshire were still facing a tough task to avoid defeat with Smith and Johnson the overnight pair.

Both batsmen survived the hour-long session before lunch in dank conditions, but Smith went for the second time in the match to the spin of Ashley Giles shortly afterwards.

Smith looked decidedly unhappy with the decision, and Hampshire's plight was thickened when Lawrence Prittipaul fell leg before to Melvyn Betts.

At 169-5, the visitors were still a single run short of making Warwickshire bat again, but with half the side back in the pavilion.

Any hope that rain might come to their aid shortened when the clouds lifted, and there was even a hint of sunshine.

Johnson and Pothas, who had shared a partnership in the first innings of 87, then knuckled down, surviving a variety of appeals, especially with the ball turning.

Warwickshire's last hope was taking the new ball immediately after the tea interval but this still failed to dislodge the sixth-wicket pair.

The match was finally declared a draw when Hampshire called a halt to their innings at 5.20pm, having reached 306-5. Pothas struck a Hampshire best of 71 not out, while Johnson joined his partner in recording a second half-century of the match.