Adam Lyth’s brilliant and determined 106 was not enough to prevent Yorkshire from losing their opening round Rothesay County Championship match with Hampshire by five wickets inside three days at the Utilita Bowl.
Lyth opened the batting and was last man out, with Yorkshire setting a target of 148 during the first half of the afternoon.
The visitors’ 275 all out in their second innings was the highest total of this sun-kissed Division One fixture, but being bowled out for 121 having won the toss on day one was the deciding factor as Hampshire took 19 points to three.
Hampshire started their second innings with a minimum of 59 overs remaining in the day, and the pursuit was completed midway through the evening inside 40 overs.
It was set up by opener Fletcha Middleton’s 38 and completed by Tom Prest’s 57 off 69 balls. Though it wasn’t without alarm as they fell to 86-4 just before tea.
You could make a good case for saying that after being bowled out cheaply in the first innings, Yorkshire were the better side in this fixture. But that just shows how tough top-flight cricket is.
Picture by John Heald. Adam Lyth celebrates his 38th first-class century this afternoon. His brilliant 106 gave Yorkshire a glimmer of hope as they set Hampshire a 148-target.
Yorkshire’s Lyth moved to the verge of 15,000 first-class career runs his 38th century against the red ball, including one in Test Matches for England.
This one was amassed off 275 balls with 11 fours.
In reaching his century off 263 balls, this was the second slowest hundred of his first-class career. But it was without doubt one of his most impressive.
Instead of dominating, he had to dig in against an accurate attack led by the new ball seam duo of Brad Wheal and Kyle Abbott.
Scotland international Wheal returned figures of 4-56 from 19 overs on a slow Southampton pitch, but experienced South African Abbott was arguably the pick of the bowlers with 2-28 from 22 overs. Half of those overs were maidens.
Yorkshire started the day on 189-6, leading by 61, with Lyth on 57 and nightwatchman Ben Cliff on 1.
Picture by John Heald. Ben Cliff batted as nightwatchman and contributed 20 this morning. Seamer Cliff only bowled four overs in the first innings having suffered a suspected side injury.
They completed a 42-run partnership for the seventh wicket and batted through the first hour of the day, frustrating their hosts and raising their own hopes of a remarkable comeback.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
Cliff, on 20, offered a low catch to second slip off Abbott, who had taken the new ball at the start of the 81st over, and Yorkshire were 229-7 with a lead of 101.
Lyth remained, but Hampshire chipped away at the wickets at the other end.
Abbott bowled Dom Bess shortly afterwards without scoring before New Zealander Brett Hampton had Ben Coad caught behind for nine after he had put on 33 with Lyth for the ninth wicket either side of lunch, which came at 255-8.
Lyth straight drove the first ball of both the morning and afternoon sessions for four.
Picture by John Heald. Dom Bess celebrates the wicket of Mark Stoneman, the first of Hampshire’s second innings.
He reached his century in the early stages of the afternoon, shortly before Coad’s departure.
And he was last to go as he skied Hampton’s seam to mid-on when looking to go over the top with the field up, the hosts trying to prevent him from taking a single and keep the strike away from last man Jack White.
This pitch has been slow and largely tough to score on, though Hampshire got away confidently, reaching 45-0 from 13 overs.
It left Yorkshire at the point of no return.
Frustratingly, a couple of catches were dropped, including top-scorer Middleton in the slips.
But off-spinner Bess bowled an attacking Mark Stoneman for 11 and White trapped Nick Gubbins lbw for five, leaving the score at 54-2 in the 17th over.
Picture by John Heald. Jack White claimed two afternoon wickets as Yorkshire continued to fight hard to avoid defeat.
White has impressed on debut, claiming 3-51 in Hampshire’s first-inning 249 all out, and when he struck again to get Toby Albert caught behind by captain Jonny Bairstow, Hampshire were 60-3 in the 19th over.
Shortly before tea, that became 86-4 in the 26th when Bess trapped Middleton lbw on the back foot as the opener attempted to play into the leg-side. Hampshire reached 86-4 at tea, needing 62 more, and unfortunately for Yorkshire they reached their target without further alarm.
Prest took on the lead role after tea and confidently completed victory for last year’s Championship runners-up, helped out by Liam Dawson.
Prest attacked against spin and seam in the form of Bess and Ben Coad, though he was dropped in the deep on 35 off Bess with the score on 117-4 – realistically, Yorkshire’s last chance.
Prest reached his fifty off 64 balls, with the target in the teens, and he shared 61 with Dawson, 22 not out. With one to win, Prest was actually bowled by Bess, who finished with 3-52 from 13.3 overs and five wickets in the match in all.
Yorkshire return to Headingley to face Worcestershire in their next match on Friday.
