Hampshire dominate half-days play against Yorkshire

It is ironic that following such beautiful weather leading up to the cricket season, that the first day at The Rose Bowl in the Championship match against Yorkshire should be seriously truncated, not by a steady drop of rain, but by the overnight downpours that left the outfield saturated.

Ironically play on the adjacent nursery ground got underway almost on time, but the easier hillier drying ground, and the fact that it was basically a Second XI practise match against their Somerset counterparts.

When the captains decided to stop waiting around, play got underway at 2:30pm, and John Crawley's decision to insert the Northern county was justified by the taking of three early wickets.

Wasim Akram showed why he should become a Rose Bowl favourite when he uprooted Michael Vaughan's middle stump to the third over of the match. Alan Mullally not to be outdone by his illustrious counterpart then had Yorkshire's other opener Matthew Wood caught behind. Chris Tremlett then enticed skipper McGrath to cut into the hand of Shaun Udal.

Matthew Lumb bedded himself down, but at the other end, Mullally again reeked havoc taking the quick wickets of Blakey (caught wicket-keeper) and Fellows (caught slip).

The visitor's demise continued this time to off-spinner Shaun Udal who off successive balls dismissed Dawson and Silverwood.

Lumb and Darren Gough rallied their team with a 46 run unbeaten partnership before the close, but the day or at least the half-day belonged to Hampshire.