Hanson eventually posted a level par 72 to say at -6 and behind him, Poulter and Michael Campbell both improved their positions with a 69 and 70 respectively for -7. Poulter was at his most relaxed and having 'waited 18 months' for another win, said he was satisfied with some excellent tee to green golf and a good round of putting.

The best rounds of the morning's play came from two Irishmen, both of whom have slipped down the World Rankings though for Graham McDowell, the decline (in ranking) has had more significance.

Harrington posted seven birdies in his 66 for -3 (after he opened with a 75). McDowell had two birdies in his first three holes then threw away that useful start with a 7 at the par five 15th.

McDowell has only played two European tour events so far this season, like many taking the opportunity to go a long way to fulfilling the PGA Tour requirement of 15 by committing himself to the US for much of the Spring. McDowell has not performed across the Atlantic as he would have liked so far in 2006, partly due to a change of shafts in his clubs which didn't give him the iron play he would have liked or was used to. There was however nothing wrong with McDowell's approach to the par three 7th with a 7 iron from 175 - it went in for a hole-in-one!

Giving one shot back to par with a bogey at the next, the double winner form 2004 was in with a 68 and one shot back from Poulter's lead.

Harrington owed his round to holing from 20ft on the second -

'It was such a relief to the see the ball going in from that range. I knew I could make some birdies from then - I holed some more afterwards. One putt like that and it seemed to open the flood gates for me. I can make a birdie without hitting it stone dead or hit onto the par fives!'

The other player from the morning pairings to do something special was Graham Storm who has eight missed cuts and has two 8th places to his 2006 playing record. Storm kept up with the 'eight' theme by equaling the Brabazon course record of 64 -

'It was the best I have played in the last six or seven years.'

Paul Casey made the early move in the afternoon. He birdied the 1st, the 3rd then went back-to-back on the sixth and seventh. Playing two groups behind Casey, Darren Clarke took the even numbers at the start of his round with threes at the 2nd and the 4th.

A mistake by Clarke at the 7th left Casey two clear on -9, a gap which became three when Casey birdied the 13th.

Casey then used his power to reach the 15th in two and with a four there, and another Clarke mistake on the 14th, it was a four shot lead for the winner of the last B&H Championship in 2003.

Clarke responded with his own four at the 15th and then from the right rough at the next, stuck his approach to barely six inches to draw to -8 and three back. Neither player made a four on the par five 17th but Clarke was in no danger of missing the cut as he had predicted and therefore being able to spend this Saturday at the FA Cup final

'I have never been to a Final. I was at the semis of the European Cup when we (Liverpool) beat Chelsea but I couldn't make the final as it was the day before Wentworth and we would have got back about 3 in the morning.'

'I played OK today, similar to the way I played yesterday', continued Clarke, 'But the greens were tough to hole out on. I like to bang them in but you don't want the four footers back here.

'Its an awful lot closer (to the lead) than I thought I was going to be. If I continue to play like this, I can give myself a chance to win. The thing I have done best is not lose my temper - on this course!

'The course is good. It just doesn't suit my eye. In the past I have struggled to hit the shots I need. This week is different.'

'I was excited to play this week', said Casey, 'I didn't know what to expect. The plan was to make the cut and then try to get into contention over the weekend. That was my goal for the week and maybe it has changed. I was proud of myself - I played very nicely coming in.'

Casey last spoke to his coach Peter Kostis, the US TV Commentator, on Wednesday night. Its a relationship which has been going some time and Casey summed it up thus -

'Its his words mainly. I just listen. I guess I like it here because of all the memories. All the events I have got to play here have been fantastic.'

Of other note was the start to the second round from A Noran, playing in the company of Oliver Fisher, who was searching for a 70 to match the level par from Lloyd Saltman, the other amateur in the field. Noran had a 10 on the short par four 10th hole, finding the water a few times. He then went birdie birdie to at least make a mark on the 'bounce back' stats - but did not make the cut.