Hoggard impresses for Yorks

Matthew Hoggard hits Michael Carberry painfully amidships

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Matthew Hoggard began compiling his case for a Test recall with a five-wicket haul in Yorkshire’s LV County Championship contest against Hampshire.

Hoggard struck a trio of significant blows in front of England national selector Geoff Miller and claimed a couple more wickets following his departure from Headingley Carnegie to finish with 5-51.

Having been dropped during the 2-1 away victory against New Zealand, the 31-year-old is vying for a return to the international stage against the same opponents next month at Lord’s.

Yorkshire were the beneficiaries of his purposeful first effort in the Championship this season as Hampshire closed the second day on 115 for five, a deficit of 283.

His initial spell of 10-1-33-4, which spanned either side of tea, toppled the top order and former Yorkshire batsman Michael Lumb perished to his first delivery of a late-evening burst.

Hoggard, sixth in England’s all-time Test wicket-taker’s list with 248, was axed after the first Test defeat in Hamilton last month and watched alongside Steve Harmison as James Anderson and Stuart Broad featured in back-to-back victories.

Despite beginning the winter in Sri Lanka with a stunning display in Kandy, talk had been that the Yorkshireman had lost his nip.

But Hampshire’s batsmen, particularly England Lion Michael Carberry, who had his box shattered by a delivery which jagged back sharply, would argue otherwise.

Hampshire were reeling at 45 for three at tea on a day cut to 88 overs by early-morning rain as Hoggard had Michael Brown snapped up by diving short-leg Andrew Gale off an inside edge and Carberry spectacularly held low down by Tim Bresnan at fourth slip.

In between, Jimmy Adams paid the price for attempting to cut one too close to him and chopped into his stumps.

Two full deliveries accounted for John Crawley and Lumb in the final session - the former bowled off-stump contemplating a drive and the latter defeated by one which shaped back.

Yorkshire seamer Hoggard bowls Jimmy Adams

Earlier, Hoggard hit a breezy, unbeaten 19 as Yorkshire’s lower order doubled their score from 199 for five.

Gale’s second first-class hundred was the cornerstone of their impressive 398, although it included a jittery quarter of an hour on 99 at the start of Thursday’s morning session.

He got there with a top-edged pull for four to fine leg off James Tomlinson, from his 14th ball, after play began at midday.

Gale, whose previous three-figure score was the 149 taken off the Warwickshire attack two years ago, might have been celebrating in the first over of the morning session but he got in a tangle attempting to pull a short one from Chris Tremlett and the ball dribbled off his body towards the stumps.

Gale’s overnight partner Bresnan was chief aggressor upon the restart but having struck three boundaries he was out in the fifth over of the morning when wicketkeeper Nic Pothas pouched a neat catch to his right off Tremlett.

This might have been a defining innings for Gale, 24, having arrived at the crease with the hosts struggling on 54 for three.

He marshalled things impressively on the first day, which allowed Bresnan and latterly Ajmal Shahzad to cut loose before lunch on the second, which Yorkshire took requiring 66 further runs for maximum batting points with three wickets intact.

Having been inserted in bowler-friendly conditions that represented a decent return, boosted by contributions all the way down the order.

Hampshire’s attacking edge was blunted by the loss of fast bowler Shane Bond, who turned his right ankle on Wednesday and did not enter the field today, and Dimitri Mascarenhas, who remained in the middle but was unable to operate due to a stiff neck.

Shahzad pulled the ball powerfully in a career-best 35, which culminated with a feeble flick to midwicket off off-spinner Greg Lamb in the over after Gale played on to left-armer Tomlinson for 138, compiled in more than six hours.

Despite their departures, however, Yorkshire had got to within one blow of 400 and five points, when Deon Kruis sliced a drive to slip.