WORCESTERSHIRE'S Ben Cox claimed a 22nd career first-class fifty but Hampshire boast a 242-run lead following an enthralling second day at the Ageas Bowl in Specsavers County Championship Division One.

Cox collected 65 in a quality-filled knock as the visitors posted 211 in reply to Hampshire 290 to hold a first-innings deficit of 79.

Hampshire then ended play on 163-8 with a lead of 242 after a spritely evening of bowling from Worcestershire under clear blue skies.

The hosts began their second innings with gusto as they reached 47 without loss with Jimmy Adams dropped first ball at third slip the only bump.

But three wickets in four balls turned the momentum around.

Lewis McManus was caught behind off Josh Tongue while attempting to take his bat inside the line before Adams was lbw to the first ball of Joe Leach’s over.

Debutant Sam Northeast temporarily slowed the wicket taking with a supreme straight drive but was clean bowled by a Leach jaffa next delivery.

James Vince, hero of the first innings with his 75, fell to Steve Magoffin for a second time in the match when he nicked to Daryl Mitchell at second slip.

South African pair Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw combined to recover with a brisk 40-run partnership before the overly aggressive Rossouw was bowled by Magoffin.

Liam Dawson and Gareth Berg both fell soon after each other, both lbw, to Leach and Tongue respectively and then Hashim Amla was run out for a promising 36.

Earlier with conditions starting under grey skies, nightwatchman Tongue departed to the seventh ball of the day as he prodded Kyle Abbott to Rossouw at second slip.

Mitchell was handed two lives as he was dropped twice on 18 and 21 by McManus off Abbott, both tricky chances off either side of the bat.

But Mitchell’s luck ran out shortly after when he swiped a wide Fidel Edwards delivery to a juggling Northeast at gully.

Gareth Berg had been the pick of a strong attack in the morning and found himself in the wickets when Travis Head loosely drove to Northeast, now positioned at fourth slip, before he bowled Joe Clarke.

With Worcestershire 68-6, Hampshire would have been expecting a more hefty lead but Cox, firstly with George Rhodes and then Ed Barnard, had other ideas.

Like Vince on the opening day, Cox appeared to be batting somewhere else and found run-scoring easier than the rest of his team-mates.

The wicketkeeper-batsman brought up his half-century off 58 balls.

Cox added 44 with Rhodes before the latter was lbw to Abbott and then 80 in a vital eighth-wicket stand with Barnard.

He was eventually dismissed as Brad Wheal went short, pulling straight to Adams at square leg, as Leach fell for a similar trap on the mid-wicket boundary.

Barnard, after a well-made 40, was the last to depart when he slog swept Dawson to Wheal at deep mid-wicket leaving Worcestershire 79 runs behind.

The Hampshire seam attack of Abbott, Edwards, Berg and Wheal posted similar figures of 3-45, 2-45, 2-46 and 2-46 respectively.