Yorkshire managed to hold out for a comfortable draw at Scarborough today after Hampshire had declared their first innings on 498-6 which gave them a first innings lead of 176 with a maximum of 71 overs to bowl.

Jacques Rudolph and Jonathan Bairstow crafted half-centuries, and all the other batsmen made useful contributions as Yorkshire were able to declare on 225-4 to end the match. Hampshire had been able to build up their big score through a club record fourth-wicket partnership of 278 between Jimmy Adams, 196, and James Vince, 180.

It was a big disappoint for Yorkshire that they could only take seven points from a match which they needed to win in order to boost their chances of clinching the Championship title.

Hampshire opener Jimmy Adams took his score to a bruising 196 before he lost his middle stump to Steven Patterson, and James Vince had extended his maiden century to 180 by the time he was dismissed by Adil Rashid. The last day began with Hampshire on 268-3, and the fourth-wicket stand between Adams, 162, and Vince, 122, already worth 215.

Adams drove Rashid for a straight six and Vince blasted the leg-spinner high over long-on as the score mounted to become the highest for Hampshire’s fourth wicket - beating the 278 between Roy Marshall and David Livingstone against Middlesex at Lord’s in 1970.

By then the partnership had already gone beyond the highest for the fourth wicket at Scarborough between Phil Robinson and David Byas for Yorkshire v Kent in 1989.

Runs continued to gush, and at the 110-over stage Hampshire were 418-3, with five batting bonus points to Yorkshire’s one for bowling. The stand had charged on to 278 when Adams was suddenly bowled by Patterson attempting a legside boundary which would have brought him his double-century.

Adams left the field to a generous ovation for his 196 - which came off 343 balls, with 27 fours and a six. Sean Ervine and Vince continued to take a heavy toll of the bowling, and both went on the sixes trail as 63 runs were dashed up in eight overs for the fifth wicket.

One particularly big six by Vince off Rashid soared over the West terrace - and it was in attempting to clear the rope again against the leg-spinner that Vince was caught on the edge by Jonny Bairstow for a sparkling 180 off 205 balls with 24 fours and three sixes.

Hampshire declared immediately when Michael Bates was run out by Patterson - leaving a minimum of 71 overs in the match. Yorkshire managed to reach 27-0 by lunch, Adam Lyth guiding the last two balls from Tomlinson before the interval to the third-man boundary.

The opening stand built up quickly after lunch but, as in the first innings, Dominic Cork kept worrying Lyth - and he got his man at 87, the newly-capped left-hander jabbing a catch to short-leg, where Adams neatly scooped it up.

Anthony McGrath and Rudolph scored briskly, but soon after completing his half-century from 74 balls with nine fours Rudolph cut David Balcombe to Michael Carberry at point, and Yorkshire were 129-2.

For the first time in the innings Yorkshire began to look vulnerable as McGrath was caught at first slip by Neil McKenzie off Danny Briggs to make it 147-3, but Andrew Gale and Jonny Bairstow were still together at tea when the total had moved on to 169-3 with seven more needed to wipe out the arrears.

Gale was caught round the corner by Chris Benham off Briggs soon after tea, and Yorkshire would have been in a tricky situation had Gerard Brophy not been dropped by Vince at first slip before he had scored. A wicket then would have effectively left Yorkshire on 15-5 with a possible 27 overs still to go.

There were few uncomfortable moments, however, and Bairstow was able to hurry to a fluent half-century off 71 balls with eight fours and a six shortly before the declaration.

DAVID WARNER

DAY 3: An unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 215 between Jimmy Adams and James Vince made it a day of toil for Yorkshire. Both had registered centuries by the close - when opener Adams was 162 and his 19-year-old partner 122 after completing his first three-figure score. Their domination of the crease took Hampshire to 367-3 and a lead of 45, which they will hope to increase substantially today.

Richard Pyrah, replacing England’s Tim Bresnan in the Yorkshire side, made their only breakthrough before lunch after openers Adams and Michael Carberry had figured in a century opening stand. Carberry departed for 40 when he aimed a drive at Pyrah and edged a catch to Anthony McGrath at second slip with the score on 105.

Hampshire went in to lunch on 110-1, Adams unbeaten on 59, after starting the day on 8-0 in reply to Yorkshire’s first innings 322-9 declared, and although Carberry and Adams played and missed a few times the pace bowling generally lacked penetration.

Steady progress was made to 73 in 23 overs, when Yorkshire turned to the spin of Adil Rashid - but Adams hit him for a couple of boundaries in his first over as he completed his 50 off 76 balls with 11 fours.

Pyrah became the sixth bowler of the morning - and it was a no-ball from the all-rounder which raised three figures...but he then struck a much needed blow by having Carberry caught at second-slip by McGrath. Chris Benham joined Adams. Progress was slow for a while, but Yorkshire were unable to take another wicket before lunch.

Hampshire made further measured progress in the afternoon until Shahzad and Patterson put them under pressure with the best bowling so far: Benham had made 26 when a splendid delivery from Shazad hit the top of his off-stump, and it became 152-3 when an uncomfortable Neil McKenzie chopped Patterson into his stumps without getting off the mark.

Adams remained as solid as a rock as he moved steadily towards his century, and James Vince got moving nicely in a fourth-wicket stand which took Hampshire past 200 and a first batting bonus point. There was just time before tea for Adams to complete a faultless century off 195 balls with 17 fours, and at the interval Hampshire were 220-3, with Adams 104 and Vince 40.

Yorkshire continued to toil for no reward after tea as Adams and Vince built remorselessly on their huge stand, and although Adams survived a difficult chance to wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy on 108 and had two run-out scares the batsmen were very much in command.

Vince registered a career-best score when he passed 75 - and he celebrated wildly when he turned Pyrah off his hips to reach his maiden century off 128 balls with 15 fours. There was no respite for Yorkshire's weary bowlers, and it is difficult to see how they can force their way back on the last day.

DAVID WARNER

MATCH INFORMATION

DAY TWO REPORT

Two fine half-centuries from newly-capped Adam Lyth, 63, and Adil Rashid, 76, moved Yorkshire on to 322-9 before they declared on Day 2 of the LV County Championship match against Hampshire at Scarborough. Yorkshire had hoped to pick up a wicket in the three overs of the day which remained, but Hampshire moved to eight without loss.

Yorkshire were put in to bat after the first day had been lost to the weather - and by lunch they had progressed to 104-1 for the lost of Jacques Rudolph. Tim Bresnan was included in the Yorkshire side with Richard Pyrah this time named as the player who will replace him when he joins up with England tomorrow.

Lyth - who received his first-team cap from skipper Andrew Gale shortly before the start - was soon facing the vastly experienced Dominic Cork, but it was left-arm paceman James Tomlinson who caused most of the early problems for the 22-year-old left-handed opener from Whitby and Rudolph.

Away movement caused several deliveries to pass the edge of the bat or go through the slips for four, but there were many positive strokes as the openers moved their stand past the 50 mark - the sixth time they had done so in as many Championship matches.

David Balcombe replaced Cork at the pavilion end: Rudolph smacked him for three fours and a two, but fell in the same over to a casual drive at a ball well outside off-stump, the edge going to wicket-keeper Michael Bates. The South African had contributed 34 to a stand of 61, and his dismissal brought in Anthony McGrath, who soon on-drove Sean Ervine for four.

Balcombe seemed convinced that he had McGrath caught behind on nine, but the umpire was unmoved, and when Lyth was 31 he played Ervine perhaps just short of James Vince at first slip. Lyth regained some of his momentum, and by lunch his second-wicket stand with McGrath had moved on to 43.

Lyth went to his half-century soon after lunch with his 10th boundary - and he had added three more fours before he fell to Cork for 63 from 93 balls. The Hampshire captain bowled him a bouncer, and Lyth could not pull out of an intended hook in time, the ball deflecting off his glove to Bates.

It was the start of a shaky spell for Yorkshire, in which they lost four wickets for 15 runs in six overs. In the same over Cork had McGrath caught behind off a good-length ball for 21 before Gale edged Tomlinson to Neil McKenzie at second slip - and Cork struck again by trapping Jonny Bairstow lbw. At 141-5, Yorkshire were in danger of capsizing.

They were kept afloat by a buoyant sixth-wicket alliance between Gerard Brophy and Adil Rashid, in which Adil struck Tomlinson for three consecutive boundaries - and two wild deliveries from Ervine sailed down the legside and went to the rope for byes.

Rashid drove Balcombe through extra-cover for four to take Yorkshire to 203-5 and their first batting point, and he completed a fine 50 off 61 deliveries with nine boundaries. The next landmark was the century stand in 19 overs, and at tea Yorkshire were 244-5 with Rashid 53 and Brophy 41.

Brophy and Rashid took their stand to 111 after the interval before Brophy was well caught at backward point by Jimmy Adams, and Rashid had moved smoothly on to 76 off 131 balls with 12 fours when he was unfortunate to be lbw to one from  Ervine which kept low.

Bresnan and Ajmal both made useful runs as Yorkshire went beyond the 300 mark to give them three batting bonus points, and they declared at 322-9, Cork having grabbed 5-58.

This left Hampshire with three overs to bat and Adams and Michael Carberry took them to eight without loss by the close.

DAVID WARNER

DAY ONE REPORT

Rain dashed Yorkshire’s hopes of any action on the first day of their important LV County Championship match against Hampshire at Scarborough today.

Yorkshire need every point they can get in their title bid - but the weather prevented them from narrowing the gap with leaders Nottinghamshire and second-placed Somerset.

Morning rain cleared, and conditions improved sufficiently for umpires Trevor Jesty and Richard Kettleborough to carry out a 1.15pm inspection. They agreed that the ground would be fit for a 2.30 start. The skies closed in again at 2pm, and persistent rain gave the umpires no option but to call it off for the day.

Nottinghamshire lead Yorkshire by six points and enjoy a game in hand, while Somerset are two points ahead.

DAVID WARNER

PREVIEW: Yorkshire are currently in 3rd place in Division One. They sit on 170 points having played 13 games whereas leaders Nottinghamshire sit on 176 points after 12 matches and second place Somerset are on 172 points after 13.

Opposition Hampshire currently sit in a perilous 7th place with only 2 wins to their name, but should not be underestimated. 

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

Adam LYTH, Jacques RUDOLPH, Anthony McGRATH, Andrew GALE (capt), Jonathan BAIRSTOW, Gerard BROPHY (wk), Tim Bresnan, Adil RASHID, Ajmal SHAHZAD, Steve PATTERSON, Oliver HANNON-DALBY, Richard PYRAH and Moin ASHRAF.

Tim Bresnan is only available for first two days. He will then join up with the England squad ahead of the 4th Test.

HAMPSHIRE SQUAD

tba