County Championship: Hampshire dig in against Yorkshire

Jimmy Adams made his first hundred of the summer in last week's draw against Somerset

Jimmy Adams continued his return to form with a half-century for Hampshire on a hard-fought opening day against newly crowned champions Yorkshire.

The home side, second from bottom and in danger of relegation, made 219-4 before rain ended play early.

Adams (52) and Michael Carberry (28) put on 74 for the first wicket and Dawson (47 not out) later shared a stand of 72 with Will Smith (46).

Yorkshire wore black armbands after the death of former skipper Brian Close.

Hampshire began the game 15 points clear of bottom side Worcestershire, but 11 behind both Sussex and Somerset, with only two teams to go down.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back positively, having lost last week's game against Middlesex after being confirmed as champions for the second successive year.

They included 17-year-old paceman Matthew Fisher in place of Ryan Sidebottom, and he bowled 16 tidy, but wicketless overs at a cost of only 24 runs.

Jack Brooks was their most successful bowler with 2-48, having both Carberry and Smith caught behind by Andrew Hodd, the latter down the leg-side.

Adams reached his fifty off 106 balls with a boundary off Tim Bresnan, but fell to Steven Patterson shortly afterwards, with Alex Lees taking a good slip catch.