WORCESTERSHIRE all-rounder Ed Barnard completed his fourth five-wicket haul of the season before the Hampshire pace attack struck back in the County Championship Division One relegation clash at Blackfinch New Road.

Barnard wreaked havoc during a post-lunch spell of 5-21 as Hampshire were bowled out for 191 in 57.3 overs.

But the hosts also struggled for runs and had been reduced to 68-4 before bad light intervened with 13.2 overs remaining.

Opener Daryl Mitchell stuck around for 41 off 66 balls with seven fours but Tom Fell (4), Joe Clarke (1) and Alex Milton (5) departed quickly.

There were only eight points between the teams, lying in sixth and eighth spot respectively with Yorkshire sandwiched in between, going into the game.

Hampshire appeared to be making relatively serene progress after electing to bat in reaching 81-2 by lunch.

But then came the intervention of Barnard who earned his first England Lions call-up this summer.

The 22-year-old was chiefly responsible for Hampshire collapsing from 83-2 to 126-8 in 12 overs after the resumption.

He bowled a deadly nine-over spell and boasted overall figures of 6-50 from 16.

Barnard has taken 41 Championship wickets this season, only six short of his best haul in a campaign last summer.

Sam Northeast (48) led a partial Hampshire recovery and then their pace attack of Dale Steyn, Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbott posed problems in the final session in gloomy light.

Hampshire debutant Oliver Soames and Jimmy Adams added 59 for the second wicket after the early departure of Joe Weatherley (10) to Barnard.

Josh Tongue broke through on the stroke of lunch by trapping Adams lbw for 31 and then Barnard took centre stage after the resumption.

Soames, having grafted 32 overs for 23 runs, drove hard at Barnard and nicked to Mitchell at second slip.

James Vince (10) perished after playing a similar shot with wicketkeeper Ben Cox snaffling the chance.

Dillon Pennington was next to strike as Tom Alsop (0) pushed forward and gave Cox another catch.

But Barnard was soon back on centre stage with another trio of wickets.