Yorkshire take upper hand at Southampton

Yorkshire with four second innings wickets left lead Hampshire by 173 in a game delicately poised at the County Ground, Southampton.

Hampshire's first innings lasted just under another hour in the morning. Kendall and Warne taking the visitors past Yorkshire's score to give them a slender eight run lead.

Peter Hartley playing his last Championship for his county against his old boys, dismissed Simon Widdup early, and accounted for England batsman Michael Vaughan. Andrew McGrath then fell just before lunch when he pulled Udal's third ball to Kendall.

Australian Darren Lehmann kept the innings together and was particularly aggressive against his fellow countryman Shane Warne, stroking seven fours off the leg-spinner alone.

First ball after lunch, Simon Guy who had come in before captain Byas, skied his first ball to Kendall, before rain interrupted the proceedings. Udal had an hour to wait before he could bowled his attempted hat-trick ball, but Fellows carefully pushed forward, despite the half hearted appeal.

Shane Warne took the two further wickets to fall, two fine catches to dismiss Fellows and skipper Byas, who had come in inexplicably at number seven. Bad light and rain, halted the match for the day, one and a half hour early with Lehmann on 72* and Gavin Hamilton 28* had put on 52 for the seventh wicket, to give the visitors a slight edge on the turning wicket at the close.

Pitch inspectors Mike Denness and Raman Subba Row, were called to the County Ground, after umpires Trevor Jesty and John Holder reported the wicket, after 16 wickets fell on the first day. The loss of points however, would not have any effect as Hampshire are already relegated from the first division.