Kyle Abbott and Sonny Baker claimed four wickets apiece to help Hampshire take control of their County Championship match with Yorkshire during a weather-interrupted day two at Headingley.
The seam bowling duo – Abbott more skill and Baker raw pace – combined to bowl the hosts out for 177 in reply to a first-innings 251.
South African overseas Abbott struck three times today added to Baker’s three yesterday. Adam Lyth top-scored with a patient 76 for Yorkshire, sharing a fifth-wicket century stand with England Lion Matthew Revis, who contributed 40.
Hampshire’s second innings started with a lead of 74 just before tea, and they built on that with 93-2 from 28 overs – an overall lead of 167.
During the latter stages of Yorkshire’s innings, they used the newly-introduced injury substitution to replace Australian Test quick Jhye Richardson, whose debut has been cut short because of illness. Dutch overseas Logan van Beek came in.
Yorkshire, resuming on 48-4, enjoyed a productive morning, which started late and finished early because of the rain, which actually intervened on four separate occasions.
Lyth and Revis advanced their partnership to 100, both looked in good order to help their side recover from Baker’s triple-wicket maiden late on day one.
Revis came to the crease this morning having received his county cap alongside team-mate and fellow Lion James Wharton after play last night. Revis was presented with his by former Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson in a ceremony inside the pavilion, with current skipper Jonny Bairstow handing Wharton his.
This was a distinctly unpleasant day weather-wise. While the rain was clearly unhelpful – play did not start until 11.30am and interrupted things four more times – the biting winds made things tricky for both players and spectators.
Still, the game has been hugely enthralling, with ball largely dominating bat.
The Lyth and Revis alliance has been the only century stand of the match so far, and en-route they took Yorkshire through to lunch at 129-4.
Veteran Lyth reached his second successive fifty, off 130 balls, just before the break.
Afterwards, Abbott re-asserted the position of strength Hampshire held overnight with a trio of wickets as the score fell from 137-4 to 149-7.
He bowled Revis and George Hill with Lyth caught behind in between.
A short rain delay followed before Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin accounted for Dom Bess caught behind, with Codi Yusuf and Baker mopping up the tail. Harry Duke was also caught behind and Jack White bowled.
Abbott finished with 4-49 from 20 overs and Baker 4-45 from 12.
Amidst the flurry of wickets, van Beek came in to bat at number 10 in place of Richardson, who will not miss Yorkshire’s next game despite having to sit out the next eight days.
Yorkshire do not have a game next weekend. This is the second time in two games they have utilised the substitute rule, with Bairstow dropping out ahead of day three at Glamorgan last week following a fractured right thumb.
This has been an impressive response from Hampshire following last week’s three-day home defeat to Essex. For Yorkshire, they were unconvincing in their draw at Glamorgan last week and, so far, have been here as well.
Van Beek’s pace struck twice late in the day to remove openers Joe Weatherley and Nick Gubbins – lbw and caught behind, the latter for 48. But Hampshire remain in control.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
