Cricket latest: Hampshire toil as Lyth puts Yorkshire in command

Lyth (133) dominated an opening stand of 195 with Joe Sayers (49), before three quick wickets fell either side of tea.

Anthony McGrath then hit an unbeaten 55 to help guide Yorkshire to the close with no further damage.

Hampshire skipper Nic Pothas won the toss but unexpectedly put Yorkshire in on what appeared to be a perfect track in cloudless conditions.

He was immediately made to pay for his decision as Lyth roared out of the blocks.

Greedily hogging the strike from Sayers, left-hander Lyth sent a series of stylish and powerful strokes fizzing to the boundary, helping Yorkshire reach 41 without loss from just four overs.

Just 10 overs later, he had reached his half century from 59 balls while Sayers had managed to accumulate just three.

Lyth even seemed on course smash a pre-lunch ton when he pulled David Balcombe for a huge six, but some more disciplined bowling slowed Yorkshire's progress, leaving them at 115 without loss at lunch.

Emerging on 79, he took no time at all to club his way to his second century of the campaign from just 157 balls.

Sayers' progress, on the other hand, had slowed to a near dawdle, and it was Lyth who eventually departed first, holing to long-on off James Tomlinson after a near-flawless innings.

Even so, with the score at 201 for one at tea, Yorkshire, who boast four of the country's leading run-getters this season in Lyth, McGrath, Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale, seemed set fair for a big total.

But as is so often the case after a huge partnership, a brace of wickets fell quickly, first Sayers nicking Dominic Cork to Neil McKenzie at second slip for 49, his painfully slow innings taking 177 balls.

Next man in Rudolph did not stick around nearly as long, snicking through to Pothas for just three to give Cork his second.

At 215 for three, it seemed a fantastic start would be wasted, but captain Gale and former skipper McGrath combined to guide Yorkshire towards a position of dominance once more.

As Hampshire's bowlers tired and the new ball was taken, Yorkshire once more began finding the boundary rope, as McGrath ended play on a fine unbeaten 55, while Gale was undefeated on 38 to leave Yorkshire on top and Pothas in hot water with his tired bowlers.