Fergus O’Neill completed a five-wicket haul before Nottinghamshire made inroads into Hampshire’s total on another weather-curtailed day at Utilita Bowl.
O’Neill took the wicket he needed on the second morning to end with figures of 5/51 as the hosts were bowled out for 214, before Ben Slater’s 48 helped Notts to 124-3 at tea.
However, there was to be no further play after that point, with a shower that turned increasingly heavier meaning that the umpires decreed an early end shortly before 5:30pm.
It was a frustrating end to a day that had otherwise begun in almost-ideal fashion for the visitors when, after only nine balls and beneath largely clear skies, O’Neill claimed his five.
South African Delano Potgieter, on debut for Hampshire, was the man who became his fifth victim as he popped up a leading edge to Haseeb Hameed at mid-off to go for 15.
The fearsome pace pair of Josh Tongue and Olly Stone then made further progress through the lower order, with the wickets of Kyle Abbott and half-centurion Felix Organ, respectively.
Abbott was caught fending at a Tongue bouncer by Liam Patterson-White at slip for 14, before Organ, having batted for 108 minutes for his 55, inside-edged Stone behind to Kyle Verreynne.
The innings was then officially wrapped up seven overs later as last man Sonny Baker was pinned lbw by Patterson-White for three, with Brad Wheal left as the not out batter on 21.
The visitors did suffer a sticky start when Hameed was bowled by Abbott in the first over, but Slater and the returning Freddie McCann fought back with aplomb.
The duo fought hard as the gloom gathered, but Slater swung the momentum in the final passage before lunch by striking Wheal for three fours in a row to take the score to 18-1.
Even as the lights were required with the darker clouds massing on the horizon, the pair were strong in their technique to keep the scoreboard ticking and the home attack frustrated.
Their stand moved the score past 50 in the 22nd over, courtesy of another four from Slater off Wheal, and it carried on to eventually be worth 85 by the time Slater fell to Baker.
In the company of in-form Joe Clarke, McCann carried on, taking two fours in three balls off Potgieter to manoeuvre himself to 38, only to be forced to retire not out with an injury.
His replacement, Jack Haynes, remained unbeaten through to stumps for five, and although Clarke was unable to do the same after becoming Abbott’s second victim, it was Verreynne who picked up the mantle to be unbeaten on 10 at stumps.
