Ton for fit-again Carberry
Michael Carberry put behind him nine months of illness trauma to score his first century of the season as Hampshire and Yorkshire ambled towards a high-scoring draw at the Rose Bowl
04-Aug-2011
Michael Carberry put behind him nine months of illness trauma to score his first century of the season as Hampshire and Yorkshire ambled towards a high-scoring draw at the Rose Bowl.
Carberry, capped once by England in Bangladesh in March 2010, was diagnosed with blood clots in the lung last November, preventing him travelling to Australia with the England Performance squad.
Until last month Carberry spent time recovering from the diagnosis, unsure if or when he would play again. But he rapidly made up for lost time in only his third Championship match of the season with an innings of 140 not out as Hampshire continued their recovery in response to Yorkshire's formidable first-innings total of 532.
Hampshire went through the third day without losing a wicket after the first 45 overs of the day's allocation had been wiped out by rain. Hampshire resumed at 116 for 2 from 29 overs and ended the day 291 for 2 from 81, still trailing by 241 but with eight wickets in hand.
Carberry and South African veteran Neil McKenzie added 175 in the 52 overs that were possible, with Yorkshire unable to make a breakthrough on an easy-paced wicket which offered the bowlers little assistance. The third-wicket pair have so far added 232 with McKenzie just as punishing and well-set, ending the third day 95 not out.
Carberry's innings has occupied 213 deliveries and has included 24 fours in addition to a six off left-arm spinner David Wainwright. McKenzie, within sight of his second century of the Championship season, has so far faced 199 balls and struck 11 fours.
Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath used eight bowlers in a bid to prise the third-wicket pair apart, including himself for two overs and little-used Jacques Rudolph for one.
With only one day to go neither side can afford a draw, with Hampshire bottom of the table and without a win while Yorkshire have managed only two victories. At stumps they had each collected three bonus points, leaving Hampshire another 92 to avoid having to follow on but with Yorkshire already aware that they will struggle to achieve that on a batsman's paradise.
Hampshire last lost a wicket at 59, when Jimmy Adams was caught at the wicket
in the 16th over, but that seemed a long time ago as Carberry and McKenzie made
the Yorkshire bowling toil in the way Hampshire's had done over the first two
days.
