Record Partnership but Hampshire Draw

Lost first day means no result possible at Scarborough.

Yorkshire v Hampshire
LV= County Championship
Start: Monday 23rd August 2010
Scarborough
 

Summary: Day Four
Match drawn
Yorkshire 322-9 declared & 225-4 declared
Hampshire 498-6 declared

The sun shone again on the final day at Scarborough. A draw was the most likely result, with just an outside possibility of a Hampshire victory if they could score quick runs, declare and make early inroads into the Yorkshire batting.

Jimmy Adams and James Vince both collected early boundaries from the bowling of Rashid and Shahzad, Adams hoisting the leg-spinner straight for six. The 250 partnership was reached when 35 had been added from only six overs, but a more significant and satisfying milestone was passed when Vince hit Rashid over long on for six. This took the fourth wicket partnership past the Hampshire record of 263, compiled by Roy Marshall and Danny Livingstone against Middlesex at Lord’s in 1970.

Adams’s long, patient innings, which began on Tuesday evening, ended when he played over a full length ball from Patterson. His 196 had occupied 343 deliveries and included 27 fours and one six.

In the meantime Vince seemed determined to make his maiden century a big one. Strong and stylish off front and back foot, he seemed to have all the strokes and all the time in which to play them. When Rashid returned for a second spell, Vince immediately pulled him for six, clearing not just the boundary, but the West Stand as well.

In the leg spinner’s next over Vince drove him straight for six into the back rows of the stand, but he mistimed the next delivery, a long hop, and was caught by Bairstow on the mid wicket boundary. His 180 had taken only 205 balls, and contained 24 fours and three sixes. The Yorkshire crowd were warm in their appreciation as he left the field with his bat lofted.

Ervine was run out shortly afterwards, whereupon Cork declared at 498 for 6, a lead of 176. There were 71 overs left in the day, and 20 minutes to lunch. Hampshire failed to take a wicket before the break, although there was a huge appeal when Tomlinson hit Lyth on the pads.

In the afternoon session Cork rotated his bowlers but couldn’t make the breakthrough as the home side added 52 from the first 10 overs. The captain was the pick of the attack, finding the edge against both batsmen, as well as beating the bat.

He broke through when Lyth failed to fend away another rising delivery and Adams took a good catch at short leg. The short-pitched attack continued, causing occasional discomfort to Rudolph and new batsman McGrath. Rudolph reached 50 with a single from Tomlinson, but in the next over he mistimed a cut against Balcombe and gave Carberry a simple catch at point.

The introduction of Briggs’s slow left arm gave brief hopes of a further twist. He immediately extracted turn and lift from the drying pitch, and in his second over McGrath was beaten and edged to McKenzie at slip. The new batsman, Bairstow, was beaten a number of times but Yorkshire reached the tea interval with 7 wickets intact, and 7 runs in arrears.

There was a flurry of rain during the interval, which prompted the appearance of the covers, but play restarted on time. For 20 minutes little happened: the occasional deliver from Briggs turned, Gale and Bairstow each hit boundaries. However, the Yorkshire captain then misjudged a turn to leg with his side only 14 ahead and he was well taken by Benham at leg slip. Brophy, the new batsman, was then dropped at first slip by Vince off Balcombe.

But that was the final drama of the game. Yorkshire declared on 225 for 4 and the game formally became a draw with Hampshire taking all 11 points available and Yorkshire 7.

Words: Bob Horne
 

Summary: Day Three
Hampshire lead by 45 runs
Yorkshire 322-9 declared
Hampshire 367-3

The smattering of southerners in the third day holiday crowd of more than 4,000 at Scarborough would have been more than satisfied with the performance of the Hampshire batsmen. Jimmy Adams and James Vince were the main contributors to a total of 367 for 3; both not out with 162 and 122 respectively. Adams, in a monumental effort of concentration, has batted throughout the day. The pair will continue in the morning, hoping to add to their partnership of 215 for the fourth wicket and gain a valuable eighth bonus point.

In brilliant seaside sunshine Adams and Michael Carberry resumed the Hampshire innings on 8 without loss. The pitch had lost its tinge of green, but the Yorkshire bowlers Shahzad and Patterson managed to obtain occasional swing, as well as movement off the pitch, and the openers needed all their technique to survive. The first hour brought 54 runs, with Adams the more assured, although Carberry stroked two lovely front foot fours through the covers from Patterson. After the partnership had reached 100, with a no ball, Carberry was dismissed for 40 when he edged Pyrah to second slip. Chris Benham joined Adams and the two played quietly through to lunch, taken at 110 for 1.

Shahzad and Patterson started the afternoon session for Yorkshire under high cloud cover. Continuing movement off the pitch meant that consolidation, rather than flamboyance, was Hampshire’s priority. Adams and Benham had to contend with some unpredictable deviation and appeared to be gaining the upper hand when Benham was bowled by a Shahzad delivery which swung into him, then moved away off the pitch, clipping the top of off stump. McKenzie had an unhappy 20 minutes before a Patterson ball kept low, taking the inside edge on its way to the base of off stump.

James Vince joined Adams and looked solid and assured from the start, particularly off the front foot. By the tea interval he had made 40 of the fourth wicket partnership of 68; Hampshire were 223 for 3.

However it was Adams who received the interval plaudits as, in the final over of the afternoon session, he drove McGrath, bowling uncharacteristic off-spin, to the extra cover boundary. It was the ninth first-class century of his career and his second for Hampshire against Yorkshire. His innings was a reward for his patience and skill, in conditions which had, at times, been testing.

Vince reached his third half century of the season when he struck Rashid through the covers for four. It had contained many fine drives, several of them worth only singles as they were cut off by fielders in the deep. The next landmark was Vince’s highest first class score, when he turned Patterson, bowling the second over with the new ball, to the square leg boundary. This took him past the 75 he made against Nottinghamshire at The Rose Bowl last year in the second innings of his debut.

Milestones continued to fall to the inexorable fourth-wicket pair. The lead was reached in the 89th over, before Adams passed 150 when he turned Hannon-Dalby to leg for two. It had contained 23 fours and was made from 270 deliveries. He was pleased, but not as pleased as Vince was shortly afterwards when he reached his maiden hundred with successive fours from Pyrah. He didn’t attempt to conceal his delight as he raised his bat and helmet to the skies, and to his colleagues in the pavilion.

Hampshire scored 144 in the evening session, with Adams making 60 and Vince 82. As well as valuable points for the team their efforts had brought personal landmarks as Vince reached his 1,000 First Class runs and Adams his 6,000. At the close Hampshire were 45 runs ahead.

Words: Bob Horne 

  

Summary: Day Two
Yorkshire lead by 314 runs
Yorkshire 322-9 declared
Hampshire 8-0

At the end of a day of fluctuating fortunes at Scarborough honours were just about even, Yorkshire having declared at 322 for 9, and Hampshire surviving three overs, finishing the day on 8 without loss.

Hampshire’s outstanding performer was their captain, the forever young Dominic Cork. He would probably be disappointed that, after he won the toss and decided to field, Yorkshire managed to make more than 300. But nothing can detract from the quality of his bowling as he swung the ball, whether new or old, and repeatedly beat the outside edge, finishing the innings with 5 for 68.

The game was able to begin on time on a bright and blustery second day, on a pitch which had green patches and might have been expected to show the effects of yesterday’s rain. However Hampshire were not able to break the opening partnership of Rudolph and Lyth and Yorkshire passed 50 without loss in the 18th over.

It was Balcombe who made the breakthrough. Rudolph hit 14 runs from his third over, taking him to 34, before edging the final delivery, full length and wide of off stump, to wicketkeeper Michael Bates.

Yorkshire began the afternoon session with a flurry of fours from the bowling of Cork and Tomlinson, four to Lyth, who reached 50, and one to McGrath. However, the Hampshire captain changed the balance of the innings when, in the third over of his spell, he took the wickets of both batsmen. Firstly, the left-handed Lyth edged a delivery which held its line and Bates took the catch. The same combination then accounted for McGrath, beaten by a late swinger of full length.

More success was to follow for the Hampshire attack. Tomlinson troubled the Yorkshire captain, Andrew Gale for a couple of overs before the batsman rashly chased a shortish delivery wide of off stump. He was well caught by Neil McKenzie, low to his right at second slip. When three overs later Cork had Bairstow lbw, Yorkshire had slumped to 141 for 5.

No bowler could press home the Hampshire advantage as the pitch became more placid in the afternoon sun and the final 80 minutes of the session belonged to Yorkshire as their sixth wicket pair of Brophy and Rashid added more than 100, taking the home side to 244 for 5 at tea.

Cork returned for the first over of the evening, and he soon struck when Brophy square cut a widish delivery with tremendous force, only to be brilliantly caught by Chris Benham in the gully.

Cork beat the outside edge several more times during another impressive spell but, aware that the new ball was due before long, replaced himself with Ervine. Meanwhile Briggs settled into his familiar groove, varying the flight and tying the batsmen down. Rashid became frustrated but could not get the left-armer away. This irritation caused Rashid’s downfall, but Ervine, rather than the deserving Briggs, was the beneficiary when he trapped the batsman lbw on the back foot.

Cork replaced Ervine and took the new ball. He continued his splendid day by beating Bresnan with three successive balls in the first over of the spell before having the Yorkshireman caught behind off the glove when he attempted to avoid the next delivery, which rose nastily from just short of a length. This was the captain’s fifth wicket of the innings, during which he had conceded only 58 runs. Tomlinson came on for the unlucky Briggs and immediately caused problems for the ninth wicket pair of Shahzad and Patterson, who repeatedly played and missed at both bowlers but it was Balcombe who had the latter out caught by Ervine for 7.

Yorkshire declared on 322 for 9, giving Hampshire three overs to survive. The visitors finished on 8 for no loss.
 
Words: Bob Horne

 

Summary: Day One
No play possible due to rain
 

Yorkshire played Middlesex yesterday under a hot sun on the first day of the 124th Scarborough Cricket Festival. Today, on the second day, it rained heavily early in the morning then dried out enough to give hopes of a 2.30 pm start. No sooner had this been announced than the deluge began.

The festival marquee decorates one corner of the North Marine ground, as it has done for the best part of a century. There are rows of deckchairs in front of it, each with a puddle of water in the bottom. Next to them the band, under canvas, defiantly played Summertime.

More rain is forecast for tomorrow, with the weather clearing by Wednesday.

Words: (a rather damp) Bob Horne
 

 

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