County Championship: Hampshire beat Essex in final-over drama

Liam Dawson dealt Essex's County Championship title hopes a huge blow as his magnificent 119 gave Hampshire a three-wicket win at Chelmsford.

Surrey will take a 20-point advantage into the final round of games - when they face Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl - after Dawson's third century of an outstanding season.

Dawson arrived at the crease at 32-4, with the visitors having been set 267 in 59 overs, and with James Vince put on 184 for the fifth wicket.

Vince totted up 89 as Hampshire won at the Cloud County Ground for just the fourth time since 1974.

Tom Westley's Essex had won their last six matches, having only won one of their first six of the season, but could not prevent Dawson giving them an uphill climb in the final week.

Essex knocked off the last two Hampshire first-innings wickets within five overs as they also picked up a third bowling point.

Kyle Abbott chopped Sam Cook onto his own stumps and Tom Prest fell for 108 when he was stumped - Simon Harmer claiming 6-149.

Essex had a 113-run first-innings but the decision to promote Adam Rossington to open backfired as he lasted just three balls.

Alastair Cook attempted to score quickly but struggled for timing and was caught behind for 16.

Dan Lawrence, in his last home game as an Essex player before he joins Surrey, got things moving with Westley as the duo quickly put on 83.

Westley fell to the final before lunch, picking out long on for 45, while Lawrence moved past his 38th half-century for his boyhood county.

The spell after the interval was a blur of swinging bats and players alternating back and forward from the pavilion. In a 21-ball spell, Essex only managed 20 runs but lost five wickets.

Paul Walter was bowled by Liam Dawson the ball after smacking a huge six, Lawrence slogged straight up and was brilliantly held by wicketkeeper Ben Brown and Matt Critchley perished at long on.

Umesh Yadav and Harmer also departed before the declaration which meant Hampshire were set 267 runs to win in a minimum of 59 overs.

An Essex fourth-innings rampage looked in store when Toby Albert was sensationally caught behind down the leg-side by Rossington.

Harmer entered the attack in the fifth over and had three wickets by the end of the 11th as Fletcha Middleton top-edged a sweep, Nick Gubbins saw a leading-edge loop to short-extra cover, and, having survived a dropped catch the ball before, Prest poked to short leg.

Vince and Dawson initially steered the run-rate towards what was required - typified by Vince reaching his 50 in 45 balls.

There were chances though with Vince put down on 16 by Critchley and Dawson edged one through Cook's hands at slip.

The two experienced heads picked the bad balls to put away and manipulated the field, the stand reaching 184 before Vince finally misjudged a big shot and was caught at cover off Critchley.

That barely deterred Dawson, who had a catch not carry to square leg on 97 before reaching his third ton of the season with a guide to the third-man boundary.

Dawson chipped Critchley to short cover with 20 still required from 22 balls, but Brown and Keith Barker maintained the momentum to give Hampshire a memorable victory with five balls to spare.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.