Following a morning of bad light play finally began, before an exasperated crowd, at one o’clock, 21 overs having been lost.  Liam Dawson and Jimmy Adams were both off the mark with boundaries from the wayward Ajmal Shahzad, although at the Kirkstall Lane End, Matthew Hoggard, fresh from his hat trick at Hove last Saturday, kept a tight line from the start. Neither batsman was troubled on a pitch which, since it was relaid, has acquired the reputation of being a featherbed, unless, that is, you’re batting for England against Australia. After ten overs the total was 18 for none, Dawson 10 and Adams 7.

After 11 overs Dion Kruis replaced Shahzad at the Football End. Dawson played the first false stroke of the day when he was beaten outside off stump as he pushed forward to a Hoggard delivery which lifted and moved away. However, the total climbed slowly into the thirties by dint of pushes and deflections. Hoggard was replaced by Shahzad and Adams drove him strongly through extra cover for four to advance into the twenties, although he was fortunate to avoid the edge when he attempted to repeat the stroke from the following delivery. In Shahzad’s next over he found the edge of Adams’s bat but the ball flew between first and second slips for another boundary. The 50 partnership arrived in the twentieth over, Adams 32, Dawson 17.

Anthony McGrath, the Yorkshire skipper, replaced Kruis after 23 overs and Hoggard returned at the Kirkstall Lane End three overs later. Dawson twice drove Hoggard to the cover boundary and, when Adams clipped the same bowler wide of mid on for four, both batsmen had made their untroubled ways into the forties. David Wainwright, hero of Yorkshire’s victory over Sussex, replaced Hoggard, whose three-over spell had cost 24 runs, and gained immediate success when Dawson  mistimed a drive from the third delivery and was caught by Andrew Gale at mid on for 45. This brought to the crease Michael Lumb, playing against his old county.

Lumb was off the mark with a single to fine leg from McGrath before, in Wainwright’s second over, he drove the slow left armer off the back foot to the cover point boundary to bring up the hundred, which had taken 34.3 overs. Adams went to 49 with a fine drive for four through the covers off McGrath before reaching a birthday fifty with a single from the same bowler. At tea Hampshire were 109 for one and Adams had scored his 5,000th First Class run.

Hampshire started slowly after tea against Wainwright and Kruis until, in the fourth over of the session, Adams, having added a single, dragged a full length delivery from Kruis onto his stumps. His 51 had included 4 fours. Chris Benham joined Lumb in the evening sunshine and was soon off the mark when he steered Kruis backward of cover for two. He appeared less assured when he edged the same bowler wide of second slip for four, but recovered his composure to turn the medium pacer to the mid wicket boundary.

Shahzad replaced Kruis, as Wainwright continued to tie the batsmen down with his control and his variations of flight. His first ten overs cost only 20 runs before he twice pitched short to Lumb and was hooked behind square first bounce for four, then turned, with beautiful timing, to the mid wicket boundary. A further pull for four from the left armer brought up the 150 in the 55th over. However, Benham departed from the first ball of the following over when he drove at Shahzad and was caught at second slip by McGrath for 16.

Lumb continued to bat with the confidence he has shown throughout the season. When Hoggard replaced Wainwright, the left hander twice drove him powerfully to the extra cover boundary. Shahzad was treated in similar manner and Lumb reached a half century of high quality from 80 balls with eight fours. With Sean Ervine quickly into his stride the scoring rate exceeded three an over for the first time as the pair added 50 in just under ten overs. The 200, and with it the first of the three bonus points needed to be absolutely safe, came in the 63rd over.

McGrath brought himself on at the Kirkstall Lane End and in his second over Ervine, having just edged a four wide of gully’s right hand, chased a wide delivery outside off and edged to wicketkeeper Brophy for 26. The fourth wicket pair had added 67. Nic Pothas drove Kruis through mid off to get off the mark, but survival until tomorrow became the batsmen’s priority as Yorkshire hurried to complete their 75 overs. Lumb ended the day on 72 and Pothas on 4.
 

Match report by Bob Horne

Back to news

• Share
• Email
• Print