Hoggard wreaks havoc

25 April 2008

Matthew Hoggard struck on day three © Getty Images

Matthew Hoggard took his best Yorkshire figures for five years as Hampshire fought to avoid an innings defeat in the County Championship contest at Headingley.

Hoggard struck with the first ball of the third day, when he had Nic Pothas well held low at slip, and at that stage had taken every one of the opening half-dozen wickets to fall.

Hoggard, 31, has bagged better returns in an England shirt in recent years but this was his most successful haul at county level since 7-49 against Somerset, on the same ground in 2003.

Hampshire, dismissed for 159 moments before the scheduled lunch break, closed a third day interrupted by showers and bad light, on 136 for four, after following on, requiring another 103 to make their hosts bat again.

Hoggard, England’s sixth most successful bowler in Test history, is vying for an international recall at Lord’s next month when the npower series against New Zealand begins.

Having spoken at length to national selector Geoff Miller on the outfield before the start of play, Hoggard sent down a spell of 4-2-6-1 this morning before giving way to Tim Bresnan at the Kirkstall Lane end.

Wickets soon began to fall at the other end, however, as batting continued to be a struggle in a gloomy morning session.

Deon Kruis found the outside edge of Greg Lamb’s bat for Rudolph to accept a more regulation chance in the sixth over of the day.

Tim Bresnan chipped in with three wickets © Getty Images

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Then Ajmal Shahzad claimed a first success of the County Championship season when Dimitri Mascarenhas drove straight to short cover.

Yorkshire’s catching was excellent throughout and Joe Sayers snared a low opportunity to his left at third slip to dismiss Chris Tremlett, off the bowling of Tim Bresnan in the next over.

A rain delay of a dozen minutes allied to some resistance from last-pair James Tomlinson and Shane Bond took Yorkshire to the verge of the interval.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid finished the innings off, however, when he lured Bond into an attacking stroke, which resulted in a catch being spooned to Michael Vaughan at backward point.

It was not until the 15th over of the second innings that Hampshire lost the first wicket, when Tim Bresnan’s opening delivery took the outside edge of Michael Carberry’s bat and was pouched by Joe Sayers at third slip.

All-rounder Bresnan struck in his second over as well when Jimmy Adams was defeated by an inswinger.

Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath’s bowling changes paid immediate dividends on more than one occasion and he was celebrating a wicket himself when he got his fifth delivery to leave John Crawley and Bresnan accepted the chance at second slip.

Crawley had been given a life when Sayers poached one heading to second-slip McGrath’s right hand, off Bresnan, but that was a rare piece of profligacy.

Hampshire’s plight worsened immediately after the second interval when former Yorkshire batsman Michael Lumb sliced to point off medium-pacer McGrath.

But from a position of 84 for four, Michael Brown, unbeaten on 58, shared an unbroken stand of 52 with Pothas before bad light terminated play 14 overs prematurely.