YORKSHIRE got off to a disappointing start in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship, losing their opening game to Hampshire by five wickets.
Yorkshire had been behind the eight-ball since they had been bowled out for 121 on the first day but Adam Lyth ground out 106 to give them hope of a sensational turnaround victory.
Jack White and Dom Bess’s two wickets left Hampshire sweating on 86 for four, but Tom Prest eased the worries with a bullish 58 to take his side towards the win with Liam Dawson.
It meant Hampshire’s fresh start without James Vince and influential fast bowler Mo Abbas began with 19 points, while the visitors – with their new-look leadership team of Jonny Bairstow and Anthony McGrath – took three points from the contest.
Hampshire began the day with the dream of the last four wickets, a short chase of less than 100 and getting home in time for Antiques Roadshow.
The route to victory didn’t quite follow that script, with Lyth stoutly compiling runs with some brave defensive tail-end batting.
Lyth had taken 123 balls to strike his first boundary of the innings, but started day three with a luscious straight drive for four – it marked an upshift from the 56 off 192 balls, that would accelerate with 49 runs in his 83 third day deliveries.
He found a willing remainer in night watcher Ben Cliff, who had suffered an injury earlier in the match which prevented him from bowling.
Cliff stuck around for 78 balls, adding 42 with Lyth, before Kyle Abbott found his outside edge during the first over with the second new ball.
It didn’t blow Yorkshire open. Dom Bess blocked out for 17 balls before Abbott sent his off stump cartwheeling, before Ben Coad hung firm for nine off 46 balls.
But the main contributor was the experienced Lyth. The 37-year-old went to a 38th first class century in 263 balls - four short of his slowest.
He brought it up with a firm back-foot drive to the boundary and quickly celebrated with two arms akimbo, before a series of fist pumps. He is Yorkshire’s 11th all-time leading red ball century-maker.
New Zealander Brett Hampton ended Hampshire’s toil. Firstly, he got one to bounce on Coad, who edged behind, before Lyth skied straight up in the air.
Initially, Hampshire strode towards the winning post, with Fletcha Middleton and Mark Stoneman putting on 47 in 14 overs, but things went south.
Stoneman got frustrated, having been dropped, after only scoring 11 in an hour and attempted to attack Bess, and was bowled.
Nick Gubbins was struck plumb in front on the back pad, Toby Albert edged behind - both falling to Jack White - and Middleton’s 38, which also saw him dropped, was ended when Bess had him lbw.
Four wickets had been lost for 40 runs, and at tea 62 runs were still required. Prest got the bit between his teeth and refused to bow to the pressure by trying to knock the runs off swiftly, although he was also put down.
His sixth first-class fifty came in 64 balls, a ball before reaching a half-century stand with Dawson. Prest was bowled to give Bess a third with the scores level, to end a 61-run stand - before Ben Brown came in to score the winning run to delight a sun-kissed Utilita Bowl crowd.
