Yorkshire endured an opening day of the season they would like to forget upon their return to Division One as Hampshire dominated with ball and then bat at the Utilita Bowl.
This is a clash between two counties who finished second across both divisions of last season’s Rothesay County Championship; Hampshire in the top-flight and Yorkshire promoted.
Jonny Bairstow won his first toss as Yorkshire’s new captain and elected to bat, but unfortunately they were bowled out for 121 inside 35 overs, losing their last five wickets for 11 runs almost immediately after lunch on a surface which offered some help for the bowlers first thing but which looked largely good. Dawid Malan top-scored with 33 off 31 balls.
In reply, Hampshire reached close at 164-5 from 59 overs, with George Hill and Jack White striking twice added to one for Dom Bess. Hill finished with particularly noteworthy figures of 2-25 from 13 overs. The hosts lead by 43.
Yorkshire handed a debut to new-ball seamer White, their winter recruit from Northamptonshire, while they opted to play the extra batter in Will Luxton. Dan Moriarty, Jonny Tattersall and Jordan Thompson missed out from the named 14-man squad.
Picture by John Heald. Jonny Bairstow greets Hampshire captain Ben Brown at the toss.
Adam Lyth took two boundaries off South African overseas seamer Kyle Abbott in the opening over of the contest, and the visitors navigated the opening half a dozen overs without too much alarm.
However, things slipped alarmingly after Lyth was lbw – trapped on the crease – to Abbott, leaving the score at 18-1 in the seventh over.
Experienced former Test seamer Abbott finished with three wickets, as did left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, who only conceded eight runs in his 4.4 overs.
Seamers Brad Wheal, Brett Hampton and Sonny Baker – the latter pair, new signings – both struck once apiece in front of a 2,100 strong crowd in the Southampton sunshine.
While Hampshire bowled well, Yorkshire will be frustrated that a few of their top order dismissals were avoidable.
Picture by John Heald. Dawid Malan drives en-route to 31 at the Utilita Bowl today.
Fin Bean square drove New Zealand overseas seamer Hampton to backward point for 14, Bairstow slashed a short ball from Baker to third on 10 and Malan was run out by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end as he pushed straight to Mark Stoneman at cover and tried to pinch a single.
When Malan fell, having hit six fours – four of them beautifully driven, the White Rose were 96-5 in the 24th over shortly before lunch.
Unfortunately, what followed immediately after lunch (106-5) was the defining period of the day, as Yorkshire slipped from 110-5 in the 31st over to 121 all out in the 35th.
That was a loss of five wickets for 11 runs in 27 balls.
Luxton was the first of those to go, bowled by a beauty from Dawson which spun, beat his outside edge and clipped the top of off-stump.
Picture by Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket. Kyle Abbott celebrates the dismissal of George Hill on his way to 3-42 from 13 overs.
Hill then edged Abbott behind for 20, the same bowler bowling an attacking Ben Coad. And Dawson wrapped up the innings by trapping Bess and a reverse-sweeping Cliff lbw in successive overs. Last man White was unbeaten on eight.
In reply, Hampshire started solidly but prevented from being spectacular.
One thing Yorkshire should be credited for is that they didn’t let their heads drop and allow their hosts to press on with bat in hand and rub salt into the wounds.
They fought hard for reward, which came courtesy of Hill uprooting opener Stoneman’s leg-stump for 46 – seemingly via an inside-edge – as the score fell to 70-1 in the 25th over.
That breakthrough came shortly before tea, and afterwards White had left-handed Nick Gubbins caught at first slip by Hill – 86-2 in the 31st.
Picture by John Heald. Jonny Bairstow talks to his Yorkshire side in the morning huddle at the Utilita Bowl.
When Bess and Bairstow combined in the 42nd to remove opener Fletcha Middleton for 45, Hampshire were 106-3.
Middleton pressed forwards against Bess, got an inside-edge onto his pad, only for Bairstow to dart from behind the stumps towards the short-leg region and brilliantly grab a looping chance diving full length.
Hampshire took the lead with a Tom Prest boundary at 123-3 in the 45th over, and Prest settled quickly at the crease and hit five boundaries in 32 off 39 balls.
He looked the most confident batter on show for a Hampshire side who are without their talismanic former captain James Vince, who has stepped away from red-ball cricket for the time being.
So it was a significant boost for Yorkshire when Hill flattened his off-stump late in the day, and White followed that by pinning nightwatchman Wheal lbw with one that kept low, leaving Hampshire at 154-5 in the 58th over. Toby Albert will begin tomorrow on 16 alongside Dawson on 1.
Picture by John Heald. Jack White celebrates his first Yorkshire wicket, that of Nick Gubbins caught at first slip by George Hill.
White finished with 2-36 from 12 overs for Yorkshire.
One thing Yorkshire will be hoping for prior to 11am tomorrow is good news regarding an injury concern for fledgling fast bowler Cliff, who only bowled four overs before leaving the field with a side/back complaint. The medical staff will further assess things tonight and tomorrow morning.
