After a few overs of quiet accumulation, Hampshire’s easy flow of runs was stalled by Yorkshire taking the new ball at the earliest possible opportunity. In Matthew Hoggard’s first over he had two convincing lbw appeals turned down and it was a strong indication of the home side’s intent.

Nic Pothas had other ideas and hit Hoggard’s second for 9, earning Hampshire’s second batting point in the process. However Ajmal Shahzad soon found the breakthrough when he slanted a ball across Michael Lumb (81) whose edge was held by a diving Anthony McGrath at second slip, leaving Hampshire 260 for 5. The new ball spell continued to challenge the Hampshire batsmen, with Dimi Mascarenhas being hit on the toes and helmet before edging a four through the slips, only to be caught by McGrath off Shahzad for 8.

Pothas and Dominic Cork seemed like men in the nervous nineties and it took them 8 overs to move from 290 to 300 runs and the bonus point that would retain first division Championship cricket for Hampshire next year. The 300th run was brought up when Cork hit Deon Kruis smartly to the third man boundary in the hundredth over but although there was a small cheer from one corner of the press box the landmark went largely unnoticed by the Headingley crowd.

The wicket of Nic Pothas was roundly celebrated though, when he was caught behind off Kruis for a 92 ball 38, with Hampshire now on 311 for 7. Cork made the most of the rest of the over with two fours, one narrowly avoiding the slips but another a sweet drive, arguably the best shot of the morning. Hampshire went in to lunch on 321 for 7, with Cork 33 and James Tomlinson 1.

Cork cut Hoggard for four from the first delivery of the afternoon session but generally runs were hard to come by against tight bowling, from the pacy Shahzad in particular. The batsmen were content to pick up ones and twos until, with the total on 345, Tomlinson was bowled by the young all rounder, who had been awarded the Yorkshire Players’ Player of the Year Award during the lunch interval. The eighth wicket pair added 30.

One run later David Griffiths was bowled by Kruis, giving the home side a third bonus point. Hampshire gained a fourth batting bonus point when a wild delivery from Shahzad went for four byes, but two balls later Danny Briggs edged to Rudolph at first slip to end the innings on 351. Dominic Cork finished 42 not out.

David Griffiths and Dimi Mascarenhas opened the Hampshire bowling against left-handers Rudolph and Sayers. The South African took three early fours from Griffiths but Yorkshire made only 16 from the first ten overs, at which point the Hampshire skipper had conceded only two runs. Griffiths also, after the early setbacks, bowled accurately at a lively pace.

Griffiths was replaced at the Kirkstall Lane End by Dominic Cork, and Mascarenhas by James Tomlinson, but by now the Yorkshire openers were playing confidently, if carefully. Tomlinson beat Rudolph with a lovely outswinger, but was hit for three fours by the same batsman in his next over. He retaliated by finding the edge, but the ball fell short of first slip. Danny Briggs bowled the final over before tea, which was taken with Yorkshire 40 for 0 from 21 overs.

An excellent spell from Tomlinson after tea brought no reward, despite two very close lbw calls, the first against Rudolph on 34 and then Sayers on 32 a couple of overs later. His 10 over spell cost 35 runs but his bowling was better than the figures suggest because the rare loose balls tended to be hit for four while just about everything else was bang on target. Meanwhile at the Kirkstall Lane End Sean Ervine was having a complete nightmare, including 4 expensive no balls.

Yorkshire’s 100 came up in the 31st over when a Rudolph four off Ervine raced across the square leg boundary. Mascarenhas changed the bowling at both ends, and in Griffiths’ second over both Rudolph and Sayers reached their fifties. Shortly afterwards the news broke that Sussex were all out for 243 meaning Yorkshire were safe from relegation, much to the obvious relief of the Headingley crowd.

In the 42nd over Mascarenhas brought himself on to bowl from the Rugby Stand and Danny Briggs from the Kirkstall Lane. This move all but brought Yorkshire’s innings to a standstill, with five of the next 10 overs being maidens. Briggs took the only Yorkshire wicket of the day when Tomlinson caught Rudolph for 68, and David Wainwright came out to bat – an unusually talented nightwatchman with an average of 48 in the LV Championship this year.

Sayers scored a four off the last ball of the day and Yorkshire finished on 169 for 1.


Match report by Jane Cable and Bob Horne.
 

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