Hampshire v Yorkshire: Battling Jack Brooks helps put champions in charge

Jack Brooks felt he did not bowl that well on day two against Hampshire but still took a seasons best 5-53 as champions Yorkshire look for a win in pursuit of a third title in a row (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com).

It is in that context that Yorkshire’s pursuit of a hat-trick of titles must be considered, if not entirely judged given their depth of resources.

While Messrs Root, Bairstow, Plunkett, Rashid and Willey were on England duty at Headingley, the champions continued their quest for the treble.

For the umpteenth time, or so it seemed, they displayed a capacity for resilience that invariably characterises the strongest sides, turning a position of concern into one of prosperity to take a grip at the halfway stage.

Make no mistake, Yorkshire were sporting furrowed brows as Hampshire made hay in the afternoon sunshine.

On what was quite possibly the last true day of summer, with scorching weather ushering in the start of September, the hosts had advanced to a threatening 199-4 in reply to Yorkshire’s 281.

Sean Ervine, the ever-dangerous Zimbabwean, had 80 to his name, and the wind was with Hampshire after they had fought back impressively from 38-3.

But from nowhere, like a lightning flash from a clear blue sky, Ryan Sidebottom produced a jaffa to have Ervine caught behind without addition to his score, triggering a dramatic collapse that saw Hampshire lose their last six wickets for 23 runs in 13 overs.

Jack Brooks took four of those wickets on his way to a season’s best 5-53, and Sidebottom ended with 3-45.

Having been staring at a deficit after a competitive if slightly below-par batting performance, Yorkshire somehow emerged with a lead of 59.

In the last 23 overs of day two, they built on that foundation to reach 69-1, Adam Lyth undefeated on 37.

It increased Yorkshire’s advantage to 128, credit that would have seemed rather improbable in mid-afternoon.

Meanwhile, some 130 miles north at Edgbaston, leaders Middlesex – who went into this round five points ahead of Yorkshire – experienced a not dissimilar day against Warwickshire.

Warwickshire were 122-2 in reply to 242 before Middlesex took their last eight wickets for 50 runs to dismiss them for 172 before closing on 63-0, a lead of 133.

It summed up the nip-and-tuck nature of a title race that could well go down to the final round when Yorkshire take on Middlesex at Lord’s.

Given that Middlesex are the only side to have beaten Yorkshire in four-day cricket in the last two seasons, and that the champions have lost on their last two visits to headquarters, Yorkshire will not want to travel to London needing a win if they can possibly avoid it.

For Brooks, the hero yesterday, the champions’ fightback at the Ageas Bowl proved that they will not relinquish their crown without a scrap.

“We had to toil pretty hard there and it wasn’t easy,” he said.

“Hampshire are fighting hard at the bottom of the league, and they’re not just going to give their wickets away.

“I was pleased to chip in, but I don’t know where it (my five-wicket haul) came from really.

“I wasn’t actually bowling that well – I started well, but then I had a couple of spells where I went for eight/10-an-over and didn’t know what I was doing – but I managed to come back and get a few wickets, and all of the lads have bowled well again.”

Brooks started the day with bat in hand as Yorkshire resumed on 275-9.

An increasingly useful batsman, he had 29 on the board and had extended that to 34 by the time last man Sidebottom played on to Gareth Berg, who finished with a career-best 6-56.

Brooks was then quickly into his work with the ball as he claimed the first Hampshire wicket in the eighth over, trapping Will Smith.

Sidebottom also won an lbw verdict against Tom Alsop, and the home side slipped to 38-3 when Steve Patterson struck with his second ball after replacing Sidebottom at the Pavilion End, Jimmy Adams clipping to short mid-wicket.

Ervine and James Vince played superbly in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 in 23 overs, ended when Vince edged Tim Bresnan to Lyth at second slip.

Vince’s 60 from 84 balls with 10 fours was only his second score of more than 50 in first-class cricket this summer, the other being 119 in the corresponding game at Headingley.

After Ervine’s departure started Hampshire’s collapse, Lewis McManus clipped to mid-wicket, Ryan McLaren pushed forward and was caught behind, Gareth Berg was caught behind off an inside-edge, and Brad Wheal and Andy Carter were bowled.

Yorkshire lost Alex Lees in the final stages, bowled by Wheal, but it was a day when they showed the stern stuff of which they are made.