The statistic that says it all as Hampshire's relegation battle gets real

And one statistic has led to the county carving out an unwanted piece of history.

In a season dominated by top order collapses, Hampshire have accumulated just 12 batting points. To put that figure into perspective, during the 2024 season, which saw Adi Birrell's side finish as runners-up to Surrey, they earned 31.

With the club now involved in an unseemly battle for survival that will ultimately come down to the result of next week's Division One clash with a Surrey side chasing down a fourth successful title, the Hawk can reveal that only three sides in the past 20 years have scored fewer batting points over the course of a County Championship campaign.