A curious season so far for Hampshire – innings win, innings loss, and now another innings win, with Kent powerless to resist a middle-order mashing at the hands of James Vince, Liam Dawson and Ben Brown. And either side of that towering total of 652 for 6 declared, Mohammad Abbas simply did the needful, picking off four wickets in the match in a support role to Keith Barker’s first-innings six-for and Kyle Abbott’s match-sealing 5 for 29. Without yet hitting the heights of previous Hampshire campaigns, Abbas has quietly picked off ten wickets at 22.60 in three matches, including a wicketless display at The Oval. His guileful, edge-threatening medium-pace will doubtless continue to bring the slips into play for some time yet.