DURHAM’S bold declaration at Basingstoke was to no avail as Hampshire, captained by Dominic Cork, showed little inclination to take up the challenge.

Shane Warne, who preached a positive approach during his time as captain, would have been appalled by their negativity. And the fact that there was rain in the air was no excuse.

There was still a remote possibility of setting something up when a light shower arrived with Hampshire on 174 for two, leading by 275, with 52 overs left. But when the umpires consulted the batsmen they decided to head for the pavilion.

The rain stopped almost as soon as they reached shelter and they were back out in five minutes, but the dreadful lack of enterprise had been confirmed.

Durham captain Phil Mustard said: “It's very disappointing.

If we had known they were going to be a bit naughty about it, we would have batted on in the hope of maximum batting points.

“We tried to put a game on for the supporters, and I thought we played it in the right spirit, but they didn't want to do it."

Durham will not be wishing Cork a happy 39th birthday today. He has long been a thorn in their side but he has always been a great competitor and it was depressing that he should allow the match to fizzle out for the festival fans, even if they were treated to Michael Carberry’s second century of the match.

When the day’s third shower arrived at 3pm Hampshire were 203 for five with Ian Blackwell having taken all the wickets, while Dale Benkenstein had the remarkable figures of 13-11-5-0. There was no point in resuming play.

Having sacrificed the chance of two more batting points by declaring, Durham took seven points from the match, three fewer than their hosts.

It means Durham remain next to the bottom ahead of Monday’s visit to Old Trafford, when they will be without Callum Thorp because of a calf injury.

Cork is leading Hampshire because both Dimitri Mascarenhas and Nic Pothas are out for the season - the former with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered at the Indian Premier League in April.

Apparently Cork was not impressed when Durham batted on into the third morning at the Rose Bowl at the end of last season after most of the first day had been lost to rain.

Durham were already champions by then.

Resuming on 41 for two, 142 ahead, Hampshire followed the usual procedure of ensuring they wouldn’t lose by being bowled out.

Benkenstein opened up with a nine-over spell in which the only run he conceded was a single off the last ball. He was also astonished to have an lbw appeal turned down with Carberry on 25.

The opener had another lucky escape on 29 when he was yorked by Blackwell but the ball missed leg stump by a whisker and went for four byes.

Durham were becoming frustrated and went up with a big appeal for a catch at silly mid-off, believing Carberry had played the ball from Benkenstein into his boot.

Neither umpire agreed.

Then Blackwell let out a cry of anguish when Michael Lumb, on ten, was dropped at deep backward square by Chris Rushworth, who was on for Thorp.

With the help of a four off Scott Borthwick’s first ball when he replaced Benkenstein, Hampshire scored 30 in the first hour.

Borthwick conceded 20 runs in four overs before Blackwell switched ends and was lifted over mid-wicket for two sixes by Carberry, taking him to 50 off 102 balls.

Showers had been forecast and the first one on a cloudy, blustery day arrived at 12.25, lasting ten minutes. Despite the loss of that time, Hampshire scored 79 in the second hour with Lumb hitting the second and fourth balls of Borthwick’s second spell for six.

A long hop was pulled into the car park and a full toss was smashed against the clubhouse wall over long-on.

There was further embarrassment for Borthwick when he had to retrieve a ball from the ladies’ loo after it was swept there by Carberry off Blackwell.

Hampshire were 150 for two at lunch, 251 ahead, but with Durham turning again to Benkenstein and Steve Harmison having his first bowl of the day, only 19 runs came off the first seven overs after the break.

After their first innings stand of 314, the third wicket pair had put on 150 when Lumb top-edged a sweep to short fine leg to fall for 64.

Carberry completed his hundred off 164 balls but any prospect of a declaration had gone when he got in a tangle going down the pitch to Blackwell and was stumped for 107.

Four balls later James Vince edged to Michael di Venuto at slip to give Blackwell only the second five-wicket haul by a Durham bowler this season following Harmison’s seven for 29 against Warwickshire.

The fact that Warwickshire were heading for victory at Southend meant Durham would be only a few points off the bottom, but they have two games in hand on the Edgbaston men and three on Essex.

The alarm bells are not yet ringing, but it will need a win at Old Trafford to rekindle any flicker of title hope.

Scoreboard

Hampshire v Durham At Basingstoke

Overnight: Durham 320-7 dec (G J Muchall 140 no, B A Stokes 99, S GBorthwick 54).

Hampshire 421-5 dec (M A Carberry 162, M J Lumb 158) and 41-2.

Hampshire Second Innings

M A Carberry st Mustard b Blackwell......107

M J Lumb c S J Harmison b Blackwell .64

N D McKenzie not out .......................... 3

J M Vince c Di Venuto b Blackwell ....... 0

S M Ervine not out ............................... 3

Extras (b4 lb12 w1 nb2 pens 0)19

Total 5 wkts (62.2 overs).......203

Fall: 1-19 2-41 3-191 4-200 5-200

Did Not Bat: D G Cork, M D Bates, D J Balcombe, D J Briggs.

Total Bonus Pts: Hampshire 7 Durham 4

Bowling: S J Harmison 6.3-1-34-0. Thorp 2.3-1-6-0. Blackwell 25-7-79-5. Borthwick 8- 1-41-0. Benkenstein 13-11-5-0. Stokes 3-1- 8-0. Plunkett 4.2-0-14-0.

Hampshire (10pts) drew with Durham (7pts).