Yorkshire slump as Hampshire tighten grip on match

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Headingley (day three)

Hampshire 251 & 351-5d: Brown 103*, Lehman 92, Prest 53; Van Beek 4-85

Yorkshire 177 & 65-5: Bean 29*, Wharton 21; Abbott 4-11

Yorkshire (3pts) need 361 runs to beat Hampshire (4pts) with five wickets remaining

Match scorecard

Captain Ben Brown's brilliant unbeaten 103 helped Hampshire set Yorkshire 426 to win shortly after tea on day three of the County Championship fixture at Headingley before Kyle Abbott starred with the ball before close.

Hampshire have dominated here following last weekend's innings defeat at home to Essex and would be deserved victors.

Wicketkeeper-batter Brown accelerated after lunch alongside Jake Lehmann - they shared an entertaining 172 for the fifth wicket - to fashion an early-evening declaration at 351-5. Lehmann's 92 came off 130 balls, while Brown hit four leg-side sixes in 109.

South African Abbott, who struck four times in the first innings, matched that haul after tea as Yorkshire slumped and closed on 65-5 from 29 overs.

Former Sussex man Brown has now scored four of his 28 career first-class centuries against Yorkshire, who this morning had to utilise the injury substitution rule for the second time in less than 24 hours following illness to seamer Jack White.

He has picked up the same bug as Australian Test quick Jhye Richardson, who was earlier replaced by Dutchman Logan van Beek.

Ben Cliff came in at the start of play, and Van Beek was Yorkshire's stand-out bowler with 4-85 from 20 overs.

Only 9.1 overs were bowled during a rainy morning.

Tom Prest advanced from 31 overnight to 53 before being run out backing up just after lunch, the deflection coming from Van Beek following Lehmann's firm drive.

At that stage, Hampshire were 142-4, leading by 216. That was when Lehmann and Brown united.

Van Beek bowled beautifully late on day two and at the start of day three, and he had a hand in all five Hampshire wickets.

But his figures were later spoilt as Yorkshire became increasingly ragged.

He struck twice late on day one, getting openers Joe Weatherley and Nick Gubbins, before removing nightwatchman Sonny Baker this morning - caught off a leading edge by a diving Dom Bess as he hared in towards silly mid-on.

Yorkshire have now utilised the ECB's new injury, illness or significant life events substitution rule on three occasions in two matches.

Captain Jonny Bairstow fractured his right thumb whilst wicketkeeping late on day one of last weekend's draw at Glamorgan.

After steady progress, Lehmann and Brown pressed on with gusto.

When Yorkshire captain Bess introduced himself into the attack, his opposite number Brown deposited the off-spinner's first ball over wide long-on for six.

By then - mid-afternoon - it was 172-4 with a lead of 247.

Lehmann was 21 when Brown came in, but the latter reached his fifty first off 67 balls. Over the slips to third-man was a productive area early on.

When left-handed Lehmann, who made a first-innings 76, got to the same milestone an over later off 89 balls, Hampshire were 232 for four and 306 ahead almost 35 minutes before tea.

Upon the resumption - at 267 for four - Brown and Lehmann, who hammered a six over midwicket, took 20 runs off van Beek in the first over back.

And there was further damage, despite him denying Lehmann a century as he holed out to deep backward square-leg eight runs short.

Brown hit three more sixes, including one slog-swept off Bess over deep backward square-leg to reach his 108-ball century. He declared having faced one more ball.

Abbott then showed all his class again.

What would be Yorkshire's highest-ever successful first-class run chase looked miles away when Adam Lyth edged to second slip in the first over, and Sam Whiteman was bowled shouldering arms in the fifth, leaving the score at 4-2.

James Wharton was later was trapped lbw by Eddie Jack's pace with the score on 51, before brilliant Abbott - 4-11 from nine overs - strengthened Hampshire's grip with two wickets in the 27th, Matthew Revis bowled and nightwatchman Cliff lbw (62-5).

Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay.

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