Yorkshire CCC v Hampshire CCC: Hosts target improved display

“There’s a bit of work to do,” said McGrath, after his side finished the game at Sophia Gardens on 239-7 in pursuit of 295 for victory, well-placed when they needed 170 from the final 34 overs of the contest with nine wickets left.

“Obviously we wanted to win the game and get off to a good start to the season, but we clearly weren’t at our best, particularly with the bat.

“But, as I said to the lads in the dressing room afterwards, this time last year we might have lost that game, and the way that we approached the run-chase and the calmness in the dressing room I was very happy with.

“I was disappointed overall because I know the levels we’ve got and the work that we put in before the game, but we might look back on it and say that it was a good 10 points to take away.”

Not quite the start that Yorkshire wanted, then, as they blew the cobwebs off their winter break.

Yorkshire began the fixture well as pace men Jack White and Ben Coad showed their enduring quality by reducing Glamorgan to 28-4 only for the back up bowling - with the exception of Dom Bess - to be not quite as effective on this occasion, the hosts recovering to reach 302 all out.

Yorkshire’s first innings lacked substantial contributions - not helped by the loss of Jonny Bairstow during the game to a thumb injury that will keep him out of this week’s fixture - as only Matty Revis managed a half-century.

Bess was the only one to find much second innings penetration - taking four of the five wickets to fall - as Glamorgan set up an attacking declaration, Adam Lyth then contributing a fine 97 in the chase and the only man to get beyond the 20s.

More first innings runs for McGrath is key as Yorkshire look to open their account against Hampshire this week.

The visitors arrive at Headingley having been hammered at home by an innings inside three days by Essex, a horrible start for Russell Domingo, the new Hampshire head coach.

“I think all the good teams score first innings runs,” said McGrath.

“If you don’t, you’re behind the eight-ball straight away.

“We want to control the games and what we did so well at the back end of last season is we went big in the first innings.

“We know if we do that then we've got the bowling attack to be able to get wickets.”

Last year, Yorkshire prepared spicier pitches at Headingley in an effort to produce more positive results.

It was a sensible tactic even though it backfired once or twice as Yorkshire’s batsmen came off worse on the club’s return to the top flight.

McGrath said the pitches would not be as spicy this year; counties also have to be careful now given that any found guilty of producing a “below average” pitch face losing all of their points from the game in question under a new rule introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

For a pitch to be deemed “below average” there has to be uneven bounce on days one or two, a lack of carry or bounce, excessive seam movement or excessive turn on days one or two, with the new regulation taking no account of bore draws such as 600 plays 600, which is surely a far bigger problem.

“If it was up to Mick Lewis (the Yorkshire bowling) coach there would be 20mm grass left on the Headingley pitch,” joked McGrath.

“But we probably won't be as bold as last year early-season because I think we saw in that Durham wicket (when Yorkshire won the final game of the campaign at Headingley) a happy medium in that match.

“We still want the pitches to carry and go through and be a good contest between bat and ball, and I think Robbo (Richard Robinson, the head of grounds) has done a good job given all the weather that’s been around lately.

“So I expect it (the pitch) to be a little bit green but maybe not as bushy as last year.”

Yorkshire are set to hand a debut to Jhye Richardson, the Australian fast bowler, who has been signed for the initial block of Championship games but arrived too late to be considered for the contest in Cardiff after his travel plans were disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East.

Richardson played one Test in the Ashes last winter, while Hampshire are set to include Jake Lehmann, who played five times for Yorkshire in 2016.

The visitors are led by Ben Brown, the batsman/wicketkeeper, and their overseas players are the evergreen Kyle Abbott, 38, and his fellow South African pace bowler Codi Yusuf, 27.