County Championship: George Hill hits century for Yorkshire at Hampshire

Harry Brook has scored 916 runs at an average of 130.85 in the County Championship

Harry Brook continued his extraordinary County Championship season with his ninth score over 50 as Yorkshire piled on the runs on a flat Ageas Bowl pitch.

Brook, who was released from the England Test squad to play in this match, has played 10 red-ball innings in 2022 with a lowest score of 41 and three centuries.

Against Hampshire, he showed his class with 76 but it was George Hill who spent the majority of the day grinding out a 220-ball century, the second of his career, before eventually departing for 131. Yorkshire reached close on 324-5.

It was Hill that caught the eye early on after his skipper Steven Patterson had chosen to bat first. His straight drives were a particular highlight in a slow-going morning session. He rather scuffed one past Kyle Abbott before opening the face of the bat the following ball, and would later gloriously drive Keith Barker through mid off as well.

The straight drives were joined by a number of pull shots through mid-wicket, including to bring up his half-century in 131 deliveries.

The 21-year-old lost Adam Lyth driving the accurate Ian Holland to third slip in the morning after a 51-run opening partnership and Will Fraine - a victim to Hill's driving - run out while backing up at the non-striker's end.

Hill showed patience to see off the new ball and once Brook had joined him the pair reached a hundred stand in 154 balls, Hill accelerating to contribute 41 of them in good time. Two sixes back over Liam Dawson's head proved his quality against spin bowling, matched by his pace mastery on show throughout.

At the other end, Brook batted like a man who knows he is at the top of his game. His high back-lift, small backward step trigger and his punchy flourishes were all lined up and timed together perfectly. He struck 11 boundaries in all - 10 fours and a six - with his wagon wheel fairly equal in all points.

He fell falling into James Vince's leg slip trap to end the 141-run stand, but that failed to halt Hill from reaching his three figures with a guided cut shot to the boundary. The second new ball ended his 257-ball vigil as Abbott sneaked one through the gate to clip the bail between middle and off stump.

Harry Duke had his off stump kissed by Holland as the shadows lengthened with the day's blue skies only interrupted by the rare cloud.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.