Hampshire edge Yorkshire as wickets tumble on the first day at Headingley

Hampshire just shaded a bowler-friendly opening day against Yorkshire as 15 wickets fell at the start of their Specsavers County Championship clash at Emerald Headingley.

Morning rain prevented any play until 12.40pm, with Hampshire opting for an uncontested toss before bowling Yorkshire out for 184.

Medium pacers Gareth Berg and Ian Holland struck twice apiece before tea as Yorkshire slipped to 110 for six, but Fidel Edwards was their standout overall with four for 83 from 16 overs.

The visitors later replied with 79 for five from 23 overs, including two wickets each for Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan.

Both sides came into this penultimate round clash not mathematically clear of relegation danger.

But bottom side Worcestershire’s perilous position in their clash with Essex at Chelmsford has eased their fears, particularly Hampshire’s.

If Worcester go on to lose at Essex, they will be relegated, leaving Hampshire safe and Lancashire as Yorkshire’s remaining target. It would take just nine points to eliminate them.

The afternoon session here was a helter-skelter affair which saw Yorkshire race to 66 for two from just 15 overs, with two catches put down.

Jeet Raval and Harry Brook were bowled by new ball pair Kyle Abbott and Edwards as Yorkshire slipped to 22 for two in the eighth over before Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth (23) steadied with a stand of 48.

Yorkshire were then hurt by losing three wickets for two runs as they slipped from 70 for two in the 20th over to 72 for five in the 23rd, with Berg claiming two of them in breezy conditions.

Ballance was trapped lbw by Berg playing to leg to end a fluent 30, an innings high-score. The left-hander passed 10,000 runs in his first-class career in the process.

Berg also had Tom Kohler-Cadmore bowled for two via an under-edge as he attempted to leave alone before Holland had Lyth caught at gully as he miscued a drive.

Then, in the final over of the afternoon, Holland bowled Jonny Tattersall as the score slipped to 110 for six.

Edwards added three more wickets in the first half of the evening as Yorkshire slipped to 160 for nine in the 50th over.

He had Matthew Waite caught behind, Bresnan (25) yorked with a pacy out-swinger and Steve Patterson also bowled. Abbott wrapped up the innings by bowling Brooks.

But Brooks then impressed with the ball to drag Yorkshire back into the game as Hampshire slipped to 68 for five in the 20th over of their reply.

Either side of Coad getting Oliver Soames caught behind, Brooks trapped Joe Weatherley lbw and Jimmy Adams was superbly caught at third slip by Brook.

Brook later claimed a second catch after Bresnan found the edge off Sam Northeast’s bat, leaving Hampshire at 63 for four in the 16th. That became 68 for five four overs later when Bresnan trapped James Vince lbw.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire handed a first-team cap to new ball seamer Coad prior to play, with Coad having taken 91 Championship wickets in the first 20 appearances of his fledgling career prior to this fixture.