SHANE WARNE might find himself in another spot of bother with authority after becoming involved in a heated exchange with one of the umpires early on in a day in which the cricketing honours emerged just about even.

After a delayed start in which 28 overs were lost to rain, the incident, in the fourth over, occurred after Billy Taylor, the Hampshire bowler, had an appeal for a catch behind the wicket by Nic Pothas against Scott Newman, the Surrey opener, turned down by Alan Whitehead, a decision Taylor openly disputed.

At the end of the over the umpire summoned Warne, the Hampshire captain, and they confronted each other with the intensity of a couple of fishwives. Hands were put on hips, fingers were pointed and each time the debate looked like fizzling out, one of them found a reason to continue it.

Whitehead also talked to Nigel Cowley, his colleague, and it seems possible that the incident will be included in the umpires’ post-match report. Alan Fordham, the cricket operations manager (first-class) at the ECB, confirmed that Whitehead had spoken to him but said that the contents of the conversation were confidential. Whitehead declined to comment.

To make things worse for an aggrieved Hampshire team, Newman, who had been on 14 at the time, went on to make 111 before being dismissed without adding to his teatime score. He hit 16 fours in a 134-ball stay before he fell, appropriately to Taylor.