Half-centuries from James Vince and Adam Wheater led Hampshire to 321 for eight after day one of their LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Leicestershire.
Openers Jimmy Adams and Will Smith set the platform and in-form Vince top-scored with 70, but Nathan Buck pegged the visitors back with 4-78.
However, some useful tailend contributions helped Hampshire progress beyond the third batting point in a strong evening session.
Adams won the toss and he and Smith made solid progress, seeing their team to 50 in the 19th over after Adams plundered 14 runs off Buck in the 18th.
The partnership was finally ended at 75 when Smith, having contributed 35, dragged a delivery from Rob Taylor onto his stumps.
And Adams followed for 40, edging Charlie Shreck to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien to leave Hampshire 79 for two at lunch.
Report from day one of Hampshire's #LVCC match against @leicsccc at Grace Road: http://t.co/Uukxwrz2VJpic.twitter.com/MgGQK8cqwH
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) May 18, 2014
Buck got in on the act early in the afternoon session, having Joe Gatting caught by Angus Robson the ball after conceding another boundary to the one-time Brighton footballer.
Vince, who already has two championship centuries this season, and Wheater counter-attacked, with their partnership reaching 50 in just 11.2 overs.
Vince reached 22 from 17 balls after taking 13 off an over from Buck, while Wheater started more steadily.
But the latter, having made seven from his first 22 balls, hit three boundaries in his next five to lift his scoring rate to a run a ball.
He took a particular liking to Anthony Ireland, with six boundaries in three overs from the right-arm seamer to move into the 40s before bringing up his half-century from 47 balls - fittingly with another four, this time off Taylor.
Vince had reached 40 from 48 balls but slowed up until the fall of Wheater for 57, getting a fine edge attempting to cut a quicker ball from Jigar Naik to end a stand of 92. His runs came from 55 balls, with 44 of them scored in fours.
Vince followed him in reaching 50 – the sixth time in nine championship innings he has done so this term - in the next over with two boundaries off Taylor, his seventh and eighth in 71 balls.
But two wickets in an over from Buck made it arguably advantage Leicestershire. Vince was bowled for 70 and Michael Bates was caught by Robson at gully without scoring before tea was taken on 229 for six.
Sean Ervine and Matt Coles put on 41 before the latter was caught behind off Taylor for 21.
Ervine fell for 40, edging Buck to Greg Smith in the slips, but South African paceman Kyle Abbott, who remained unbeaten on 33, and Danny Briggs shared an unbroken stand of 22 by the close.