By Charles Randall at Headingley
First day of four: Yorkshire 242-3 v Hampshire
YORKSHIRE had become likely candidates for a block-booking at a home for bewildered cricketers after two depressing defeats in one-day competition at Headingley this week, but thanks to a century of quality from Matthew Wood they took some sure steps towards rehabilitation yesterday.
Wood's 103 not out, his second championship hundred of the season and his career, offered a punchy retort to a Hampshire attack which asked some searching questions. Yorkshire finished a rain-shortened day in command.
To be bundled out by Leicestershire for 93 in the AXA League on Sunday was bad enough. To be so severely beaten by Essex in a Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final full of expectation in front of a paltry crowd of just over 5,000 was indeed bewildering.
David Byas issued his ``no moping'' rallying call, won the toss and put the onus on his batsmen to revive their fortunes. This they did as Michael Vaughan, with an 86 full of crisp strokes, and Wood loosened Hampshire's grip on a responsive pitch.
Hampshire's seam bowlers beat the bat quite frequently, with Peter Hartley, especially, gaining sharp movement off the seam on his return to old haunts, but no catches went to hand among a close-set field, apart from a leg-side clip by Byas.
It was hard to tell that Yorkshire had been weakened by the absence through illness of Darren Lehmann, their best batsman, as Wood, 21, batted like a seasoned professional. After a cautious fifty in just under 2.5 hours he penetrated the off-side with skimming cuts and drives.
Hampshire's success in ridding themselves of Vaughan, as he tickled a leg-side catch off balance, only heralded a starburst from Wood of six consecutive boundaries, including four off Nixon McLean.
Day 2: The martial art of Silverwood
By Charles Randall at Headingley
Second day of four: Hampshire (104 & 109-3) trail Yorkshire (327-9 dec) by 114 runs
THE name Chris Silverwood did not crop up very often during England's tour of the West Indies last winter for itinerary reasons more than his own shortcomings, so he has needed some eye-catching returns for Yorkshire like yesterday's five for 13.
Because bowlers, rather than the mollycoddled batsmen, slip in and out of the reckoning all too easily, Silverwood has the constant task of bolstering his credentials. He would be a black belt in bowling, as he is in karate, but the wickets column remains the only badge of honour for most bowlers' aches and pains.
Silverwood's bowling at Headingley yesterday shoved Hampshire rudely towards the follow-on, and Yorkshire could contemplate a victory that would lift them to fourth place in the championship after a barren month.
In the morning session 10 wickets fell on a pitch of low, uneven bounce. Six victims belonged to Yorkshire, whose dominant overnight position was undermined by Dimitri Mascarenhas, until he retired with a side strain.
Yorkshire were made to scramble for maximum batting points after Mascarenhas seamed one in to bowl the previous day's century-maker Matthew Wood.
Hampshire suspected batting would be awkward for them, but not as bad as two for four wickets as Silverwood, leaping high into his delivery stride off a fast run-up, piled into their upper order.
Giles White popped up the sixth ball to gully, and he only partially atoned for that with his 67 in the second innings.
Silverwood, having Robin Smith lbw in his second over, spoilt Derek Kenway's 20th birthday with his next ball. John Stephenson miscued a drive off Paul Hutchison to cover, and no wonder the batsman put a gloved hand to his face in embarrassment.
Silverwood claimed two more wickets before he was rested, including Mascarenhas, uncharacteristically strokeless for more than an hour before he perished for nought off his first real attacking stroke.
Shaun Udal provided a light moment when his snicked boundary disappeared into a spectator's possessions. A search lasted at least a minute until the ball was discovered in a half-zipped holdall and returned to Anthony McGrath, the waiting fielder.
Hampshire's undernourished 29 for seven was turned into a respectable total by Nixon McLean, who struck flamboyant sixes of his second and third balls, from Hutchison, during his 33 in 19 balls.
Day 3: No play due to rain.
Day 4: Defiant Aymes foils Yorkshire
By Charles Randall at Headingley
Yorkshire (327-9 dec) drew with Hampshire (104 & 272-9)
YORKSHIRE'S hopes of closing the gap behind the championship pace-setters failed to materialise when Adrian Aymes led Hampshire's resistance for a draw that saved some south coast pride without improving a lowly position in the table.
Aymes chained himself to the crease for three more hours here yesterday, impeding Yorkshire's progress like some anti-cruelty protester after rain had delayed the start until 12.25pm.
Yorkshire deserved to win, but weather frustrated them. They were worried enough about their bowling resources at Durham tomorrow to ask England to release Chris Silverwood from the Test build-up at Lord's optimistically, it would seem.
Yorkshire's hopes of forcing a win remained alive until deep into the evening session, and the position was delicately balanced when Aymes was finally dismissed for 73 as sixth out, his side 12 runs ahead and, effectively, 20 overs of the match remaining. Hampshire's last pair had to play out a couple of overs to make absolutely sure.
Aymes, a veteran wicketkeeper now at 34, brought his championship runs aggregate to 393. His four-hour innings ended when Richard Stemp spun one past him.
Chris Silverwood induced a snick from Derek Kenway in the day's third over, and Yorkshire wasted a crucial chance in the first over after tea when Aymes edged a good ball at a convenient height between wicketkeeper and first slip. Hampshire were still a run behind.