Captain Gale Inspires Unlikely Victory

This was a peculiar match, with Hampshire progressing at a sedate pace on the first day, before accelerating to maximum batting points on the second day. The relegation strugglers then made good inroads into the batting order of the champions, only for their efforts to be undermined by virtually no play on the third day. As a consequence, Hampshire gambled on forfeiting extra bowling bonus points and a certain three points for a tame draw by contriving with their visitors to produce a final day run chase for the Tykes, in a desperate attempt to secure sixteen vital points for a win.

In the end, Hampshire's bold but desperate gamble backfired after Gale and Leaning produced a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket which transformed a possible defeat into a near-certain victory for the champions. It could easily have been so different when the hosts had their visitors on the ropes at an alarming 37 for three on the final morning.

However, the Tykes this time did not fold as they had done so poorly at Lord's back on Saturday afternoon. Instead, Bresnan and Hodd got the away team to the chequered flag at 17:30, with less than five overs left. Hodd had the honour of hitting the runs, which created a new piece of English county cricket history, as the high-flying Yorkshire team have now amassed the highest points total in Division One of the reformed County Championship - and they have done so with one match to spare, and in spite of countless absences. What has been most ironic is that Yorkshire lost a match at Middlesex that they had dominated, before proceeding to win a contest in Southampton where they were second best for the first three days. C'est la vie. 

Hampshire must now hope that we can do them a favour by defeating Sussex in our last outing. Yorkshire owe Hampshire nothing, but at the same time they ought to be professional enough and sufficiently motivated to try and finish their victorious campaign on a high. The Tykes after all would not be best pleased if they were relying on another county - only to discover that the other county was resting lots of players and seemingly disinterested in a final win.

Hampshire versus YORKSHIRE; at Southampton; Monday the fourteenth to Thursday the seventeenth of September 2015. YORKSHIRE won the toss.

Hampshire first innings: 400 for nine declared (Dawson 140, Adams 52; Brooks 3-97)

YORKSHIRE first innings: 97 for four declared

Hampshire second innings: Forfeited

YORKSHIRE second innings: 305 for five (Gale 125; Leaning 76; Edwards 3-74)

YORKSHIRE win by five wickets. Hampshire six points, YORKSHIRE nineteen points.

Lyth - He bowled one over, costing 11 runs, was dismissed for a duck, and was then run out in the second innings. Oh and he was rightly dropped by England too.

Lees - He was a bit unlucky that the first innings ended abruptly, with him marooned on a useful 37 not out. However, he then got out cheaply for five on day four.

Ballance - Scores of thirty and seventeen were inadequate. No wonder the England selectors omitted him from the test tour to the United Arab Emirates.

Gale - Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde followed up his three with a brilliant ton, his twentieth in first-class cricket, and his third of the summer. Twas a superb performance.

Leaning - Jack failed with three in the first innings, but atoned for this with a game-changing, superb three and a half hour vigil at the crease on the final day.

Bresnan - Tim could only take one wicket from twenty-two overs, costing 69 runs, but he amassed forty-seven vital runs over two innings, without losing his wicket.

Hodd - Four catches, one stumping, and a match-clinching unbeaten innings of seventeen runs represented a happy return to the south coast for Andrew Hodd.

Middlebrook - Rashid's stand-in was the most expensive of our five main bowlers, conceding 77 runs from sixteen overs, but he did chip in with a couple of wickets.

Patterson - Steve's work was exclusively confined to Hampshire's one innings, during which he took one wicket, costing 68 runs, from 24 efficient overs.

Brooks - JB took the new ball, in the absence of Mr Sidebottom. He was characteristically expensive, conceding ninety-seven runs from twenty-two overs.

Fisher - Young Matt wasn't required to bat, but he bowled really tidily, taking two wickets at a cost of only 61 runs from his 23.5 overs. This was a good effort.

AVERAGES

BATSMEN (minimum requirement - one hundred runs):

Bairstow - 107.10; 1071 runs; highest score - 219 not out; five centuries and five fifties

Pujara - 52.8; 264 runs; highest score - 133 not out; one century and one fifty

Bresnan - 51.87; 778 runs; highest score - 169 not out; two centuries and three fifties

Leaning - 41.76; 877 runs; highest score - 123; three centuries and three fifties

Finch - 41.33; 124 runs; highest score - 73 not out; one fifty

Maxwell - 40.67; 244 runs; highest score - 140; one century

BEST BOWLERS (minimum requirement - ten wickets):

Sidebottom - 17.07; forty wickets; best bowling: 6-34

Brooks - 23.49; fifty-nine wickets; best bowling: 5-35

Patterson - 25.07; 45 wickets; best bowling: 5-11

Middlebrook - 25.94; seventeen wickets; best bowling: 5-82

Plunkett - 28.92; twelve wickets; best bowling: 4-61

Rashid - 29.4; 25 wickets; best bowling: 4-48

Bresnan - 32.62; forty wickets; best bowling: 5-85

CURRENT DIVISION ONE STANDINGS:

YORKSHIRE - played fifteen matches; 265 points

Middlesex - played fifteen matches; 217 points

Nottinghamshire - played fifteen matches; 205 points

Durham - played sixteen matches; 188 points

Warwickshire - played fifteen matches; 180 points

Somerset - played fifteen matches; 159 points

Sussex - played fifteen matches; 157 points

Hampshire - played fifteen matches; 141 points

Worcestershire - played fifteen matches; 127 points