"MCC were tasked with finding a white ball that lasts the course, " the club's head of cricket, John Stephenson told BBC Sport.

BBC: Pink ball makes debut at Lord's

John Stephenson of First Asset Investment Management, a Canadian fund manager, reckons the idea that speculators swamp every other price signal is odd.

ECONOMIST: The charge-sheet against commodity speculators is flimsy

Dimitri Mascarenhas was Hampshire's top scorer with 52 from 71 balls, sharing in a stand of 47 for the second wicket with John Stephenson.

BBC: Nerveless Jacobs hits out

Essex lost two wickets before the close, with Darren Robinson bowled by Paul Franks and John Stephenson chopping onto his own stumps off Stuart MacGill.

BBC: Jefferson carries Essex hopes

The appeal was launched on Thursday by actor Rufus Sewell, broadcaster Michael Palin, journalist John McCarthy and actress Juliet Stephenson.

BBC: Syria crisis: UK's DEC appeal raises ?3.4m

The other men under investigation include Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who both quit this week.

BBC: Phone hacking: IPCC to probe Met press chief Fedorcio