Notts are frustrated as Varma century steers Hants towards safety

TILAK Varma once again proved his enormous talent with his second century in three matches as Hampshire fought hard to keep title-challenging Nottinghamshire at bay at Utilita Bowl.

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India prodigy Varma added 112 to take his average in his Hampshire stint to just under 79.

He put on 42 with Nick Gubbins, 58 with Ben Brown, and most substantially 126 with Felix Organ to bite into Nottinghamshire's large 578 first-innings score.

Organ ended the day unbeaten on 71 with 61 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on in doing so Hampshire should be safe from defeat on the final day.

Fletcha Middleton and Joe Weatherley had hunkered down for 32 overs of hard graft the previous evening.

And they got their rewards by collecting half-centuries in the morning.

Neither showed any flashiness, just survival-style opening batting - putting on 94 together.

That was unsurprising for Weatherley who was playing his first red ball match for two years, having lost favour in the Championship and fallen behind Middleton, Toby Albert, Felix Organ, Mark Stoneman, Ali Orr, Ian Holland in recent years.