HAMPSHIRE were bowled out for just 176 in their first first-class match at Lord’s for nine years - despite Joe Gatting’s best innings for the county.

Batting on the ground where his uncle Mike starred for Middlesex and England, Gatting made an unbeaten 64 from only 86 balls (seven fours, one six).

Playing his first LV County Championship match since last July, the former Brighton & Hove Albion striker got his chance after Liam Dawson was left out of the side.

Batting at seven, he made his highest score since his 67 against Derbyshire last Apri.

Although he lost partners at regular intervals, Gatting decided to counter-attack and he completed a spirited half-century with a six swung effortlessly into the Grandstand off Harris.

But Hampshire were skittled in just 62.3 overs after losing the toss.

Eighteen overs were lost when rain swept in at noon to hold up play until 2.20pm but Hampshire, who were 30-2 when the players took an early lunch, declined further during the afternoon and evening sessions.

Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris took four wickets apiece. Roland-Jones took three of the six wickets to fall by tea, at which Hampshire were struggling at 111-6 on a well-grassed pitch that offered just enough seam movement to the quicker bowlers.

But Murtagh made the initial incision with the fourth ball of the match to have out-of-form Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams caught at the wicket for a duck.

Sean Terry battled hard to reach 23 before Roland-Jones made one go up the Lord’s slope just enough to have the right-handed opener also caught by John Simpson behind the stumps.

In the fourth over after the re-start Michael Carberry, offering no stroke on 15, was leg-before to Roland-Jones as he thrust out his front pad to another delivery which seamed back up the slope, and Hampshire were 55-4 when James Vince was bowled for 13 driving loosely at Harris in the 21st over.

Adam Wheater played a couple of nice shots, including a straight drive for four off Roland-Jones to the Pavilion rails, but on 17 he was bowled shouldering arms to Murtagh, who made one nip back at him – again up the slope.

Will Smith was leg-before for 18 pushing half-forward at Roland-Jones in the 40th over as third-placed Middlesex kept up the pressure on the team currently in joint last place alongside Nottinghamshire in the first division table.

Gareth Berg, playing against the county he served for seven seasons from 2008, made it to ten before being brilliantly caught off Roland-Jones by Nick Compton, who flung himself to his left from gully.

Danny Briggs edged behind, fencing at Harris, and the same bowler then bowled Brad Wheal for 3 and ended the Hampshire first innings by having Jackson Bird caught at second slip for one.

By the close Middlesex had replied with 57-0 in 13 overs, with Paul Stirling the chief aggressor against the new ball with 36 from 34 balls (seven fours), and Sam Robson also unbeaten on 17. They are already well-placed to press for a fourth championship win of the campaign.

Roland-Jones took four of the first seven Hampshire wickets to fall, for figures of 4 for 60, and Harris polished off the tail to earn himself a return of 4-48.

Harris, who was awarded his Middlesex county cap during the tea interval, now has 49 first-class wickets this season, with only Lancashire’s Kyle Jarvis and Durham’s Chris Rushworth ahead of him on the national wicket-taking list.