Deon Kruis, right, took the first wicket of the Hampshire innings on his last day of Championship cricket for Yorkshire at Headingley Carnegie today.

Deon Kruis, right, took the first wicket of the Hampshire innings on his last day of Championship cricket for Yorkshire at Headingley Carnegie today.

It was a fitting moment, because at the lunch interval the Club presented Kruis with a watch in recognition of his five seasons of outstanding service.

The game ambled its way to a draw under clear blue skies with both sides understandably unwilling to enter into an arrangement on a slow pitch with so much time lost to bad light. Hampshire were happy to bat throughout the last day of Championship cricket at Headingley Carnegie this season before declaring on 284-3 to end the match.

Former Yorkshire batsman Michael Lumb reached 1,000 runs for the season after making 60 - but four runs later he was out to the unique combination of Adam Lyth the bowler, second picture, and Gerard Brophy the first-slip catcher.

Brophy the wicket-keeper had handed his pads to Jonathan Bairstow at the tea interval - and the catch he snapped up at slip brought Lyth his first wicket in First Class cricket.

With the game heading towards a draw, Hampshire had reached 145-2 at lunch - a lead of 148. The chances of a positive result were as good as ended when the final 23.3 overs were lost to bad light last night. 

Hampshire began Day 4 on 41-0, both Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson having reached 16. Dawson was still on his overnight score when he got an inside edge on to his left toe from an Ajmal Shahzad yorker, and he spent several minutes having treatment before he could continue.

The score mounted only steadily - but Adams advanced mainly in boundary shots, and he completed his second half-century of the match with his 12th four. The openers took their stand to three figures, but at 105 Dawson mis-pulled Kruis, and was splendidly caught for 35 by Shahzad running in from long-leg.

Lumb joined Adams - who added four more boundaries before he offered no stroke to left-hand spinner David Wainwright and was bowled after facing 124 deliveries. 

Lumb went in to lunch on 13, and Chris Benham had made one. Wainwright continued from the Kirkstall Lane End - and Lyth was given a rare opportunity from the other.

Lyth was accurate, mixing off-spinners with a quicker one, and he was given total respect - sending up five maidens in six overs. Then Benham drove him through the covers for two. Lyth came close to bowling Benham, but when he overpitched Benham found the cover boundary.

Lumb and Benham crawled through their 20s, but when Wainwright took the Rugby Ground End Lumb hoisted him for two to raise the 50 partnership. Lyth changed ends - and Benham hit him for four to the West Stand.

Lyth dropped short in his next over - and Benham punched him to the same spot to raise the 200, with Benham 36 and Lumb 31. Yet Lyth had bowled eight maidens in 14 overs.

Benham came to his 50 off 113 balls with seven fours, and heaved Wainwright, third picture to square-leg for another. Jacques Rudolph took the Kirkstall Lane End, and Lumb swept him from outside off-stump for four.

An on-drive off Rudolph for his eighth four brought Lumb his 50 in 159 minutes. Hampshire were 248-2 at tea, Lumb 56 and Benham 57.

Kruis came on for his final spell. Benham thumped him to the cover boundary to pass 250. Lyth took the other end, and Yorkshire exile Lumb reached his 1,000 First Class runs for the season. 

Lumb brushed Lyth through mid-wicket for two - but next ball Adam caught the edge for Brophy to tumble and hold it at slip. 262-3. The stand had been worth 120, and Lumb's 64 with nine fours had occupied 192 balls.

Ervine took three fours of Kruis with crisp, wristy shots - and then planted Lyth for six to long-on in front of the South Stand. Kruis bowled his last over for Yorkshire - a maiden to Benham - with a beautiful mixture of movement both ways off the pitch and a bouncer.

Brophy bowled the last over - a maiden of medium-pace which the belligerent Ervine decided not to take on - and Hampshire finished on 284-3, 287 ahead, with Benham not out 67 in 161 balls with nine fours, and Ervine not out 18 - three fours and a six.

Kruis lingered in the middle with daughter Ele in his arms, waving to acknowledge the crowd's warm tribute, before he accepted the guard of honour formed by the Yorkshire players at the gate exit to the dressing rooms.

DAVID WARNER

Thanks for the memories: Deon Kruis is flanked by wife Marna and daughter Ele as he is presented with a watch to mark his retirement after five years with Yorkshire by Chief Executive Stewart Regan, extreme left, and Director of Professional Cricket Martyn Moxon. BELOW: The gang's all here. 

Today's Action Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

Day 3: Joe Sayers narrowly missed out on his third century of the season on Day 3 of Yorkshire’s LV Championship match against Hampshire at Headingley Carnegie - and Yorkshire trailed by three runs on first innings after collapsing to the second new ball.

They were all out for 348, two runs short of a fourth batting-bonus point, and Hampshire were 41 without loss when bad light stopped play with 23.3 overs remaining.

Sayers carefully moved his score to 95 in the morning before falling to Dominic Cork - and there was a sparkling unbeaten 50 from Jonathan Bairstow, his sixth Championship half-century of the season. Yorkshire, who started the day on 169 for the loss of Jacques Rudolph, had reached 249-3 by lunch - when they trailed their opponents by 102 on first innings. Yorkshire already knew that their Division 1 survival was assured when Sayers, 74, resumed with nightwatchman David Wainwright, who was still to get off the mark.

Wainwright has already proved himself to be an accomplished late-order batsman - and he was soon doing the lion’s share of the scoring, taking a couple of boundaries off Dimitri Mascarenhas and hitting consecutive balls from David Griffiths for four.

Yorkshire reached 200 and their first batting-bonus point in the 64th over, but the scoring rate slowed down as the bowlers constantly pitched short outside off-stump in an attempt to lure Sayers into the hook or pull. Wainwright became frustrated at not been able to pierce the off-side field, and his downfall came when he cut at Mascarenhas and was caught by Danny Briggs at point for 21 out of a second-wicket partnership of 47 with Sayers. Left-arm paceman James Tomlinson replaced Mascarenhas, while Dominic Cork came on at the Kirkstall Lane End - and was hit through cover-point for four by Adam Lyth, left, celebrating his 22nd birthday.

Sayers's defiance seemed certain to be rewarded with a century - but Cork snared him after the opener had occupied the crease for 292 minutes, received 261 balls and struck 13 fours. Joe skied a hook - and Tomlinson held a well judged catch as he fell at long-leg.

Skipper Anthony McGrath boosted the scoring with consecutive cover-drives to the edge when left-arm spinner Briggs pitched short, and by lunch he was 15 and Lyth 13. Tomlinson took the Rugby Ground End after lunch, and McGrath again found the cover boundary.

Then McGrath went for one a shade short - and drove it hard to short cover where Dawson held it well, low to his right. Anthony's 25 included four boundaries. 259-4.

A hard drive by Lyth came close to being a caught-and-bowled chance for Tomlinson, but he drove Griffiths sweetly through point for four.

Andrew Gale joined his fellow left-hander, scored a single, failed to get across to one outside the off-stump from Tomlinson - and was caught low down by wicket-keeper Nic Pothas. 273-5.

Lyth fell without addition: Griffiths produced a nasty lifter to catch the glove, and the ball seemed to hang in the air behind slip and wicket-keeper. It was first-slip Jimmy Adams who pouched it with both hands over his head to end an innings of 26 in 72 balls, with four fours.

Jonathan Bairstow, left, tucked Tomlinson to the long-leg boundary to get off the mark - but Griffths was really making the new ball fly: Gerard Brophy slashed outside off-stump, and Pothas leapt in the air to despatch him for a duck.

Bairstow drove Tomlinson over the top to the cover boundary, and turned him off his legs for four. He took his fourth boundary off Tomlinson - his second one-handed lift over cover.

Another savage lifter from Griffiths hit Bairstow on the glove, but dropped to safety. Bairstow raised himself to his full height to smack Griffiths to the cover boundary, and then turned him for a single to keep the bowling.

Bairstow took his fifth four off Tomlinson with a dab to third-man. Sean Ervine succeeded Griffiths - and Ajmal Shahzad helped him to the square-leg boundary to get off the mark and bring up the 300.

Bairstow took his sixth four off Tomlinson with a steer through the slips - and his seventh with a drive through extra-cover. He forced Ervine towards the East Stand - but had to be content with three.

Shahzad, still on four, fenced at one he could have left alone - and Pothas caught a fast-travelling ball at regulation height to end a chirpy stand of 40 dominated by Bairstow.

Ervine had Matthew Hoggard caught by Benham at gully for a duck with the first ball of his next over - so Deon Kruis, left, came to bat in his last First Class game for Yorkshire on a hat-trick. Deon counted the four slips and two gullies before he saw the threat away - and cover-drove Ervine for four to round off the over.

He cracked the third ball of Ervine's next over through mid-off four...drove the next one straighter for another four...and edged the fifth to third-man for four again. The last bounced over his head to stop the run of boundaries.

Bairstow pushed slow left-hander Briggs through gully for the single that brought him his 50 in 52 balls with nine fours - but next ball Kruis went for the big one, and was caught by a juggling Cork at first slip for 20, including four fours. From a positon of such prosperity overnight Yorkshire trailed by three on first innings: 351-348.

Hoggard and Shahzad opened the attack for Yokshire after tea with 39 overs of the day remaining. Six overs, 12 runs - and Hoggard must have come close with an lbw appeal against Adams. Shahzad had three maidens on the trot before Dawson pushed him through gully for two.

Adams lay back to crunch Hoggard to the cover boundary. Twice the umpires conferred about the light as Hampshire crept along at two an over. At 31-0 after 14 overs Kruis took the Kirkstall Lane End. Dawson edged - but safely - and collected three. Adams took four to long-leg.

Two more mid-field conferences - and the players came off at 41-0, with Adams and Dawson each on 16. Shahzad had conceded only nine runs in 7.3 overs and Hoggard 14 in seven. They did not return.

Words: DAVID WARNER. Pictures: VAUGHN RIDLEY

Day 2: Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers celebrated Yorkshire's Division 1 survival with a magnificent opening partnership of 162 on Day 2 of the LV Championship match with Hampshire at Headingley Carnegie.

It was during their stand that Yorkshire became sure of safety when news came through that Sussex had been bowled out for 243 by Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Rudolph departed for 68 with two overs of the day remaining, but Sayers was unbeaten at the close on 74 when Yorkshire had reached 169-1 off 53 overs as they chased their opponents first-innings score of 351.

Captain Anthony McGrath held on to two great slip catches this morning as Yorkshire clocked up their second bowling-bonus point, and Ajmal Shahzad, Matthew Hoggard and Deon Kruis each captured a wicket before Hampshire went in to lunch on 321-7. They started the day on 227-5, with former Yorkshire left-hander Michael Lumb on 72 and Nic Pothas four. The attack was shared by McGrath and David Wainwright, but Hoggard and Shahzad took over with the new ball.

Pothas did most of the scoring - striking Hoggard for two cover boundaries, but it was Shahzad who really impressed with his variety and pace: he made the breakthrough at 260 in the 84th over, when Lumb tried to drive a full-length ball. The edge flew to McGrath - who grasped an excellent catch two-handed at second slip. Lumb's 81 came off 160 balls with 11 fours.

Shahzad continued to look extremely impressive, but it was Hoggard who claimed the next wicket as Dimitri Mascarenhas slashed carelessly outside off-stump for McGrath to hold on to another fine catch. Hampshire were 290-6 when Shahzad was rested and replaced by Kruis - who went on to take his second wicket of the innings, Pothas’'s resistance ending on 38 when he was beaten by extra bounce and caught behind by Gerard Brophy.

Dominic Cork continued to keep the Hampshire score ticking over, and he had moved on to 33 by lunch, with James Tomlinson just off the mark.

Shahzad steamed in from the Rugby Ground End after lunch - and Cork missed with a savage mow that would have cleared the East Stand. Tomlinson leg-glanced Hoggard to the boundary. Tomlinson did well to get out of the way of a nasty, climbing delivery from Shahzad.

Hampshire looked to be regaining the ascendancy when Shahzad, bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Tomlinson, knocked his off-stump out of the ground. 345-8, Tomlinson 14 with two fours.

Kruis yorked David Griffiths one run later, left - and Yorkshire had their third bowling point.  Shahzad went for the coup de grace against Danny Briggs - but the resultant four byes took Hampshire to 351. 

Next ball Shahzad had Briggs caught by the diving Jacques Rudolph at slip, and the innings was over. Cork was left stranded on 42 in 82 balls with six fours. Shahzad took the plaudits with 4-75 in some excellent spells over the two days, and Kruis had 3-51. 

Rudolph and Joe Sayers went out for Yorkshire with 53 overs remaining in the day. Griffiths opened up from the Kirkstall Lane End - and Rudolph drove his first ball through point for four. He dotted the second...but the third went through the covers for another boundary. Griffiths's next over was better - but Rudolph steered the last ball to third-man for his third four.

Five slips gathered for Sayers, and he snicked a desperately hard chance to the third of them, Liam Dawson, off Griffiths. Joe pushed his first single after half an hour at the crease.

Both batsmen were pinned down by Mascarenhas, who bowled three maidens in four overs. Cork and Tomlinson took over, and Sayers survived a rap on the pads by Tomlinson. Yorkshire were 28 after an hour - Rudolph 15 and Sayers eight. Cork tried a short one to Sayers - who thrashed it through the off-side. Yorkshire took tea one short of the 50, Rudolph on 27 and Sayers 15. Tomlinson troubled Rudolph - he sliced one for four past the wicket-keeper and survived a good lbw shout.

Ervine took the Kirkstall Lane End: Sayers put his first ball to the cover boundary...and his second to the rope at third-man. A couple of no-balls helped the over's tally to 13. Rudolph played a cover-drive of real pedigree off Tomlinson, and Sayers drove Ervine gloriously to the West Stand. Sayers survived an lbw appeal by Tomlinson - then leaned on him for three through mid-wicket.

The luckless Ervine bowled a boundary wide to the off-side of Sayers, and in his next over Rudolph reached the cover boundary with a silky drive...and followed it with another two balls later to bring up the 100, with Rudolph on 47 and Sayers 38. It was the fourth century opening partnership by Rudolph and Sayers this season.

Griffiths tried the Rugby Ground End: Sayers forced him for three to the off, and it was off the second ball of his next over that Rudolph pushed past the bowler for the single that brought his 50 in 99 balls with 10 fours. Three balls later Sayers took three to mid-wicket for his own 50 in 123 deliveries with seven fours. Sayers had overtaken his partner - and followed up with a cover-driven four off Cork and a two to third-man. Sayers steered a short one from Griffiths for four to third-man.   

Sayers stood tall to thump Griffiths off the back foot to the East Stand...and it was at this point that news of the dismisal of Sussex at Trent Bridge confirmed that Yorkshire had escaped relegation.  Mascarenhas returned at the Rugby Ground End, and Sayers drove him through long-off to raise the 150, with Rudolph on 61 and Sayers 67. Rudolph leg-glanced Mascarenhas to where the new pavilion is taking shape.

Rudolph launched himself at slow left-hander Danny Briggs - but the ball crashed into the opposite stumps, and Rudolph gained nothing. Briggs was doing his job - conceding only six runs in five overs. On the fifth ball of his next over diaster struck: Rudolph mistimed his drive, and holed out to Tomlinson at mid-on to end a stand of 162. Rudolph's 68 had occupied 186 minutes, 144 balls, and included 12 fours. Wainwright was promoted as nightwatchman to join Sayers, 69.

There were no further alarms as Sayers advanced to 74 and Yorkshire to 169.

DAVID WARNER

Well held, Skip: The Yorkshire players congratulate catcher Anthony McGrath.

Today's Action Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

Day 1: Michael Lumb hit an unbeaten 72 against his old county as Hampshire reached 227-4 in 75 overs on Day 1 of their LV Championship match at Headingley Carnegie.

The elegant left-hander faced 128 balls and stroked 10 boundaries, while Hampshire's other half-century came from  opener Jimmy Adams, who made 51 before being bowled by Deon Kruis.

Yorkshire so far have taken one point from the match - they need six to be absolutely sure of staying in Division 1.

Yorkshire won the toss, decided to field...and then cooled their heels while the morning was lost to bad light. The players took an early lunch, started at 1pm, and left-arm spinner David Wainwright had the only wicket to fall when Hampshire went to tea at 109-1. James Adams and Liam Dawson got them off to a solid start with a stand of 95 - but Dawson flicked Wainwright's third delivery to Andrew Gale at mid-wicket to depart for 45, leaving Adams on 50 at the interval.

Yorkshire made one change from the side which beat Sussex at Hove last week - paceman Deon Kruis preferred to off-spinner Azeem Rafiq. The crowd applauded as Kruis, pictured bowling Adams, was accorded the honour of leading Yorkshire out in his last match before retirement, and Kruis responded to the generous salute by raising his cap aloft.

Matthew Hoggard started the business with a maiden from the Kirkstall Lane End. Ajmal Shahzad, third picture, took the Rugby Ground End - and his first ball caught Liam Dawson's outside edge: it flew through the diving slip cordon to the third-man boundary. 

Dawson forced Shahzad off his legs for three. Left-hander Adams drove Hoggard straight for two, but then survived an lbw shout.

Hoggard strayed outside off-stump in his sixth over, and Adams hammered him to the rope. Kruis took over from Shahzad, and went "through" Dawson. Hoggard just missed Dawson's outside-edge with a perfect out-swinger. Dawson dabbed hard at Hoggard - and Gale made a fine stop at third-slip falling to his left. 

Shahzad tried the Kirkstall Lane End, but Adams drove him through the covers.  Twice the bowler won moral victories with balls that moved away. Kruis bounced Dawson - who swung him to the long-leg boundary.

Shahzad nearly had Adams when he edged between Jacques Rudolph and skipper Anthony McGrath at slip, but the ball raced to the third-man boundary. The 50 came up with Adams on 32 and Dawson 17. McGrath introduced himself at the Rugby Ground End.

Hoggard again, and Dawson struck him to the cover boundary three times in one over. Dawson fastened on to a short one in Hoggard's next over and lifted him one bounce to the leg-leg boundary.

In Hoggard's next over Adams drove him for four to long-on. The total had reached 92 when Wainwright began his first spell: Adams cut him for three - but Dawson flicked him straight to short-mid-wicket Gale to end an innings of 45 with six fours. Enter: Lumb.

The 100 was passed when Lumb hit Wainwright off the back foot to the cover boundary. Adams leg-glanced McGrath to complete his 50 in 104 balls with six fours, and at tea Hampshire were 109-1, with Lumb not out 7.

A single to Adams after the interval...and Kruis bowled him off the inside-edge. 110-2. Wainwright was tying the batsmen down - but Lumb drove him exquisitely to the cover boundary. Wainwright was in his 10th over when he lost an lbw appeal against Chris Benham.

Lumb heaved Wainwright backward of square for four...and then through mid-wicket. Wainwright strayed badly to leg in his next over, and Lumb helped it round the corner for four more.

At 152 Shahzad, left, struck from the Rugby Ground End: Benham drove, and McGrath at third slip held the low catch, diving and rolling to his right. Benham's 16 included two fours.

Sean Ervine stabbed Shahzad to the third-man boundary, and Lumb cover-drove Hoggard when he returned to succeed Wainwright. Ervine middled Shahzad on the front foot, and found the extra-cover rope.

Lumb tucked Hoggard off his legs for three, and Ervine struck him handsomely through the covers. Lumb sailed into Shahzad, and drove him for anoher four to the Old Pavilion. Hoggard appealed for lbw against Lumb and was turned down - and Lumb then smacked him through extra-cover for his eighth four and his 50 in 80 balls. The most delicate of late cuts for four by Ervine off Hoggard took Hampshire past 200 after 63 overs.

McGrath took the Kirkstall Lane End, and Lumb on-drove him for three. Shahzad was bowling as fast as he had done all day - and he was very unlucky when Lumb snicked him past Bairstow to the third-man boundary. At 219 the skipper took a wicket: Ervine played a loose shot outside the off-stump, got an under-edge, and wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy took the catch. Ervine's 26 in 31 balls included five fours.

Nic Pothas opened his account with a firm extra-cover drive to the rope off the returning Kruis. McGrath, below, and Wainwright bowled the final overs as the shadows lengthened, but Hampshire finished on 227-4, Lumb not out 72 and Pothas four.

DAVID WARNER

Today's Action Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

Yorkshire Squad

Jacques Rudolph, Joe Sayers, Adam Lyth, Anthony McGrath, Andrew Gale, Jonathan Bairstow, Gerard Brophy, Ajmal Shahzad, David Wainwright, Matthew Hoggard, Deon Kruis, Azeem Rafiq and Richard Pyrah.

Hampshire Squad

To be confirmed...

Tickets 

SPECIAL OFFER - If you pay £20 on admission you will be given a voucher to collect a replica Yorkshire 2009 shirt - effectively getting that shirt for just £5. 

The match starts at 10.30am on each of the four days and tickets will be available on the gate priced at £15 adults and £10 concessions. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.