Yorkshire batsmen make Hampshire toil

Yorkshire's batsmen dominated to reach 318-3 on the opening day against Hampshire in the battle of two of the relegation-threatened sides.

Yorkshire made the most of winning the toss as Andrew Gale (54) put on 129 for the second wicket with Jacques Rudolph, who later fell one short of a century.

Anthony McGrath (65no) and Gary Ballance (50no) added an unbeaten 114 for the fourth wicket before the close.

Spinners Imran Tahir and Danny Briggs bowled 61 overs as Hampshire toiled.

It had promised to be a much better day for the hosts after left-arm paceman Chris Wood had Joe Sayers caught behind early on.

But Gale and Rudolph began to take the game away from them with their stand, which spanned 32 overs, only for Yorkshire captain Gale to lift Tahir to James Vince at mid-wicket.

McGrath helped add another 55 before Rudolph, who seemed destined for his 43rd first-class century, drove the South Africa leg-spinner to Dominic Cork at short mid-wicket.

It proved to be Hampshire's final breakthrough of a day in which they bowled 105 overs, leaving Yorkshire with only an outside chance of adding a fourth batting bonus point.