The breakthrough for Hampshire came after almost an hour’s play, when Danny Briggs caught David Wainwright (21) in the gully off the bowling of Dimi Mascarenhas, leaving Yorkshire on 209 for 2. This was after David Griffiths and the captain had laboured in vain, but nevertheless restricted the Yorkshire batsmen to 39 runs from the first 15 overs.

Mascarenhas immediately replaced himself with James Tomlinson from the Rugby Stand end, now bowling in tandem with the miserly Dominic Cork. After two blameless but wicketless overs Tomlinson was replaced by Danny Briggs in an attempt to steal another wicket before the new ball could be taken.

In the 75th over an interesting duel developed when Joe Sayers had the temerity to take a boundary off Cork’s second ball. He was treated to a couple of bouncers before deciding to pull away when Cork was part way through his run up, but failed to take any more runs off the over, having only advanced 20 during the first 90 minutes of play. It was Cork who eventually won the battle a few overs later when Sayers spooned a high catch to Tomlinson on the third man boundary, his second take of the innings. Sayers had missed his 11th First Class century by just 5 runs, and Hampshire had achieved their first bowling point.

Rather than take the new ball Hampshire continued with Briggs and Cork, and in the over before lunch Mascarenhas brought himself on to bowl a rare over of spin. Yorkshire left the field on 249 for 3.

The new ball was taken after lunch, Tomlinson running in from the Rugby Stand End, Griffiths from the Kirkstall Lane End. With only 9 runs added Tomlinson struck in his second over when McGrath drove hard and low to Dawson at short extra cover. The left armer was swinging the ball away from the Yorkshire left handers Lyth and Gale. He beat Gale with the fourth and fifth deliveries of his fourth over before, from the next, he found the edge for Pothas to take the catch behind the stumps. 273 for 5.

In the following over Griffiths beat Lyth for pace. The batsman shaped to pull but the ball was on him more quickly than he expected and took the top edge, ballooning over the slips where the athletic Adams leapt to take a high catch. In his next over Griffiths, running in aggressively, got one to lift from just short of a length to have Brophy caught behind for 0. 277 for 7. Three wickets had fallen in the space of 28 deliveries. 

Bairstow, joined by Shahzad, was almost solely responsible for a Yorkshire recovery. He was soon into the twenties with a series of boundaries, although Griffiths hit him on the glove when he beat him for pace. The bowler was replaced by Ervine after seven excellent overs and the Zimbabwean brought an end to the home side’s revival when Shahzad was caught behind for 4, his contribution to a partnership of 40. 317 for 8 became 319 for 9 when Hoggard was caught in the gully by Benham from the first delivery of Ervine’s next over.

Ervine, on a hat trick, bowled to Kruis with four slips and two gullys waiting for the edge. It didn’t materialise and Kruis hit three successive fours in Ervine’s next over as he hurried to 20 before he was well caught by Cork at slip from the slow left arm of Briggs. Bairstow, twenty tomorrow, was unbeaten on 50. Yorkshire finished on 348, three runs short of Hampshire’s first innings total and early tea was taken.

Hampshire’s second innings began when the afternoon was so wintry that three off-duty bowlers sought refuge in Yorkshire’s press box rather than sit on the players’ balcony. Inevitably the umpires brought the players off for bad light, half way the 16th over.  Hampshire’s total at the time was 41 for 0, with both Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson on 16 runs apiece and there seemed little chance of play resuming. It was finally called off for the day at 5.30.
 

Match report by Jane Cable and Bob Horne.

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