Victory over Hampshire by an innings and 22 runs this afternoon brought a huge sigh of relief in the Yorkshire camp - and the hope that they really can escape the relegation zone of the LV Championship this season.

Victory over Hampshire by an innings and 22 runs this afternoon brought a huge sigh of relief in the Yorkshire camp - and the hope that they really can escape the relegation zone of the LV Championship this season.

It was Yorkshire's first victory in 22 Championship games since June last year - and hero of the hour was once again Adil Rashid, 21, right, this time taking 5-41 with his leg-spin to complement his career-best 117 not out at Basingstoke yesterday.

Yorkshire bowled Hampshire out second time around for 252 inside 80 overs after putting them out for 250 the first time, and then piling up 524. Cricket Director Martyn Moxon said the 274 first-innings lead was “beyond his wildest dreams”, and added: “You can’t underestimate the importance of this win. It’s a huge relief to us all, and it’s very pleasing to have won after so long. It’s been a tough year so far, but the lads have put in a lot of hard work. We got our rewards today.”

Adil, the England Lions all-rounder wheeled away after lunch today, helping to reduce Hampshire from 231-4 to 252 all out in the 13 overs to finish with 5-41 from 16.5 overs. His post-lunch spell was 5-23 from 9.5 overs.

Gaining 21 points means that Yorkshire leapfrog Hampshire by two points in the Division 1 table ahead of Wednesday’s Roses match against Lancashire at Headingley Carnegie.

Yorkshire skipper Anthony McGrath said: “I thought we were excellent for all four days. We have always said we knew that if we bowled well, bowled with discipline, and got runs on the board we have a team who can win cricket matches. We have finally proved that today.”

Hampshire made it to 200-4 after 61 overs at lunch, with Matthew Hoggard and Ajmal Shahzad claiming a wicket apiece this morning. James Vince and Michael Carberry were the men to go. Vince, aged 18, was trapped lbw by Hoggard for 43 before England hopeful Carberry, who had been dropped three times, edged Shahzad to wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy for 70. 137-4 in the 37th over.

Liam Dawson, 50, and Sean Ervine, 48, shared 96 in 21 overs for the fifth-wicket, frustrating the visitors either side of the lunch break. They looked set to push their side to level par with Yorkshire before Ervine, the former Zimbabwe all-rounder, threw the game away with a piece of kamikaze cricket. Ervine reverse-swept Rashid to fine-leg, completed the first run and was on his way back for the second when Joe Sayers returned the ball to Brophy, who whipped the bails off. Some suggested that Ervine had made his ground, but umpire Vanburn Holder ruled otherwise.

Dimitri Mascarenhas was caught behind next ball to continue what turned into a procession of wickets. Dawson was caught at first slip by Sayers in Rashid’s next over, the 72nd of the innings, before Chris Tremlett was caught behind in the 74th and Imran Tahir stumped in the 76th. That left Hampshire at 252-9, and the job was completed in the 80th over when last-man David Griffiths was bowled by Rashid - who had all of the last five wickets.

Martyn added: “Adil has had an up-and-down season, but we have to understand that he is very young. We have to be patient with him. Adil has shown that when conditions are in his favour, and he’s confident, that he is potential match-winner for us.”

GRAHAM HARDCASTLE

Close Day 3: Hants 250 and 75-2, Yorks 524

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid helped to bat Yorkshire into the driving seat during today’s third day of their crucial County Championship match against relegation rivals Hampshire at Basingstoke. Rashid, 21, hit a career best unbeaten 117 to fire the Tykes to a mammoth first innings total of 524 in reply to the home side’s 250.

Hampshire, who trailed by 274 after the first innings, then made it to 75-2 after 30 overs of their second innings at close. In-form opener Michael Carberry reached 41 not out, and he is Hampshire’s best hope of survival tomorrow.

Rashid shared a Mays Bounty record of 192 for the eighth wicket with Ajmal Shahzad, who also recorded a career best 78 off 159 balls. The previous best partnership for the eighth wicket was 129 between Stuart Boyce and Gerry Hill for Hampshire against Worcestershire in 1938.

Rashid and Shahzad began their partnership late on day two, and it was only broken midway through the afternoon session today when the latter cracked Chris Tremlett to a diving Jimmy Adams at cover. Rashid faced 190 balls, hitting 14 fours and one six, to notch his third first-class ton.

Deon Kruis battered a late 26 off 23 balls, including four fours and one six, before he was trapped lbw by Imran Tahir. Tremlett also had Matthew Hoggard caught at mid-off by Dimitri Mascarenhas in between the dismissals of Shahzad and Kruis.

While the captaincy of Mascarenhas may have left something to be desired, his bowling figures of 1-77 from 40 overs cannot be argued with. But the England one-day man was getting more and more frustrated as Rashid and Shahzad survived four dropped catches to post the highest innings total ever on this ground.

Tim Bresnan then got Yorkshire off to the perfect start with the ball when he bowled Adams, who shouldered arms for the second time in match in the eighth over of the home side’s second innings.

He also trapped former Headingley left-hander Michael Lumb lbw in his next over to leave the score at 10-2. England hopeful Carberry, who was dropped at short cover by Anthony McGrath off the bowling of Kruis whilst on 32, batted through to the close with James Vince (29).

Yorks Close Day 2: Hants 250, Yorks 273-7. 

Jacques Rudolph fell ten runs short of his fourth County Championship century of the summer today as Yorkshire replied solidly to Hampshire’s first innings total of 250. The prolific South African left-hander is also closing in on 1,000 LV Division One runs after his 237-ball 90, although it was tough going on. The visitors closed the second day reasonably well placed at 273-7.

Wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy had added 53 off 88 balls late in the day to give Yorkshire some much needed impetus on a slow pitch that has proved difficult to score on for both sides. But he and Tim Bresnan, who had shared an aggressive sixth wicket partnership of 58 in 17 overs, fell before close to put a dampener on proceedings. Yorkshire still, however, lead by 23 runs.  

Rudolph and fellow opener Joe Sayers batted through the morning session, advancing their side’s score to 93-0 after 35 overs at lunch. They had added just 80 runs. The only two alarms were in the 12th over of the innings, the ninth of the day, when Sayers survived two run out chances whilst on eleven. He was sent back both times by Rudolph, who had pushed Chris Tremlett deliveries into the covers.

Yorkshire lost three wickets in seven overs this afternoon, falling from 132-0 to 150-3 after losing Sayers for 50 off 164 balls, Anthony McGrath for a duck and Andrew Gale for eight. Sayers had only just reached his half-century off 155 balls before he was well caught at second slip by Liam Dawson off the bowling of lively seamer David Griffiths (3-65 from 19 overs). It brought Yorkshire’s highest opening partnership of the summer to an end.

Gale followed the same way, but the bowler was Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas. Sandwiched in between, McGrath was caught behind by Tom Burrows to gift Griffiths his second wicket.

The Tykes went into tea at 166-3 after 67 overs, but Jonny Bairstow was trapped lbw by former Headingley leg-spinner Imran Tahir three overs after the break for 13. And Rudolph, who had passed 50 for the seventh time this season off 92 balls in the first session of the day, became Tahir’s second victim when he edged to Sean Ervine at first slip eight overs later. It left Yorkshire at 204-5 in the 78th.

Rudolph, who needs 16 for 1,000 LV Division One runs for the summer, did pass 11,000 first-class career runs.

Wicketkeeper Brophy and Bresnan then ensured the visitors gained a first innings lead before close their sixth wicket partnership. Ajmal Shahzad creamed Griffiths down the ground for four with his first ball to demonstrate that there is still plenty of batting left yet. Adil Rashid will be with him in the morning.

DAY ONE REPORT: Hants 250, Yorkshire 13-0 

Ajmal Shahzad ripped into Hampshire’s middle to lower order by taking three wickets in an over to put Yorkshire into the driving seat after the first day of their County Championship match at Basingstoke today.

The 24 year-old speedster was the White Rose county’s most threatening bowler, but was rueing some bad luck after the hosts had navigated swinging conditions to put themselves in a decent position at 238-6.

Left-handed opener Jimmy Adams had top scored with a determined 79 off 226 balls, including ten fours, but was one of six wickets to fall after tea.

Matthew Hoggard had sparked a comeback in the third session of the day with a stunning caught and bowled effort to get rid of the dangerous Sean Ervine. Hoggard, diving away to his left, pouched the ball in his left hand. It was the first of six wickets to fall, reducing the hosts from 203-4 to 250 all out inside 91 overs.

Deon Kruis (2-51 from 19 overs) bowled Adams, who shouldered arms to a ball that clipped his off-stump, before Huddersfield-born Shahzad’s triple strike in the 87th over of the day. He had captain Dimitri Mascarenhas caught behind by Gerard Brophy with the first ball before bowling Chris Tremlett with the second. He then trapped Tom Burrows lbw with a searing yorker that had the wicketkeeper sprawling on the floor.

Tim Bresnan then had Imran Tahir caught behind to enable Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers reach 13-0 after three overs in their reply. Shahzad finished with figures of 4-72 from 22, and it was only the second time in his career that he had taken four wickets.

Yorkshire bowled admirably without luck for most parts – Shahzad in particular – as the likes of Adams and Michael Lumb (51) played and missed on more than one occasion. But they got their luck later in the day. Bresnan finished with figures of 3-45 from 19.1 overs.

Hampshire reached 92-1 at lunch – the only wicket of the morning session falling to Shahzad, that of in-form Michael Carberry caught in the gully by Bresnan – and they looked set to advance further as the day went on. But Bresnan trapped Lumb lbw in the 45th over before he had 18 year-old James Vince well caught at first slip by Rudolph in the 57th. It was the first of two wickets in consecutive overs. Kruis had Liam Dawson caught low down at second slip by Sayers, and Hampshire were wobbling at 154-4 in the 58th.

There was no sign of the seam that had last year’s fixture between Hampshire and Durham here done and dusted inside two days, but there was certainly plenty of swing on offer. Let’s just hope that there is none on offer tomorrow.