Hampshire kept Somerset under pressure at the top of Division One of the Specsavers County Championship with a 244-run win on the Isle of Wight.

The strong seam attack of Fidel Edwards (3-37), Keith Barker (3-42) and Kyle Abbott (3-46) did the brunt of the work as Hampshire made it three wins from four Championship matches this season.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Fidel Edwards delivers a bouncer (Photo by Graham Brown)

Hampshire took 22 points to move to within two points of early pacesetters Somerset – who they will face in the Royal London One Day Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire are without a win in 12 first-class matches stretching back to last June.

Hampshire began the final day needing eight wickets for victory in a minimum of 96 overs, having dismissed both Nottinghamshire openers in a 15-over spell the previous evening.

The sun shone again at Newclose, on a wicket that flattened out.

But nightwatchman Matt Carter only lasted until the fifth over of the fourth day before he was lbw to left-armer Barker.

Barker almost dismissed Joe Clarke for a duck, but Kyle Abbott spilled a chance at mid-on, before finding the edge of Clarke’s bat three balls later, wicketkeeper Tom Alsop taking the catch.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Kyle Abbott dismisses Joe Clarke (Photo by Graham Brown)

Chris Nash had shown plenty of fight in the morning session to reach a third Championship half century of the season.

His most sturdy partnership was with Jake Libby, with the pair blocking out 16 overs.

But 10 minutes before lunch Libby departed when Fidel Edwards bounced him and the ball ballooned up to Oli Soames at short leg.

Wickets fell frequently after the interval. Nash was lbw to Abbott for 60 to the sixth ball after lunch and Tom Moores followed in identical style soon after.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Hampshire fielders crowd the bat as Mason Crane bowls

Steven Mullaney was handed a life when he edged Mason Crane to Ajinkya Rahane at first slip only for the ball to slip through his grasp.

Mullaney and Luke Fletcher held up proceedings for just over half an hour before Barker clipped the Nottinghamshire captain’s off-stump.

Stuart Broad edged Edwards to Rahane at first slip and Hampshire secured the win in mid-afternoon when Jake Ball sent a leading edge against Crane to cover.