Rashid lifts Yorkshire after Cork burst

Test selector James Whitaker watched on as two of England's young hopefuls made attractive half-centuries on the second day of Yorkshire's Championship Division One match against Hampshire at Scarborough.

Opener Adam Lyth, the first batsman to complete 1,000 runs this season, received his county cap before the start of the match and went on to make a stylish 63. Allrounder Adil Rashid, later stemmed a batting collapse with an elegant 76 which helped Yorkshire to reach 322 for 9 declared after they had been put in to bat, the first day of the match having been lost to bad weather.

But the two young guns were not allowed to steal all the glory. Hampshire's 39-year-old captain Dominic Cork bowled with all his usual gusto to finish with season-best figures of 5 for 58.

With every point vital for Yorkshire in their quest for the title they were given a promising start by Lyth and Jacques Rudolph, who put on 61 in 18 overs. Rudolph then got too ambitious in what had been an expensive over from David Balcombe. The South African had already hit him for three fours and a two but he then flayed at a wide one outside off-stump and was caught behind by Michael Bates, the first of four victims for the 19-year-old wicketkeeper.

Anthony McGrath kept Lyth company until lunch and soon after the interval Lyth moved to his half-century but after striking 13 boundaries and receiving 106 balls he could not avoid making glove contact with a Cork bouncer. In the same over, Cork found the edge of McGrath's bat and Bates again held on to the catch.

Left-armer James Tomlinson, who had bowled well in his first spell without reward, had Andrew Gale giving a low catch to Neil McKenzie at second slip. And Yorkshire slumped to 141 for 5 when Jonny Bairstow fell lbw to Cork, four wickets having toppled for 15 runs in six overs.

Help was on hand for Yorkshire in the form of Gerard Brophy and Rashid, who repaired the damage with a seventh wicket stand of 111 in which Rashid struck Sean Ervine for three consecutive boundaries.

Rashid's wristy strokeplay took him to his sixth Championship half-century of the season and Brophy offered good support until he had reached 44 - when he was superbly caught by Jimmy Adams at backward point while slashing at Cork. Any chance of Rashid managing a well-deserved century ended when Ervine got a delivery to shoot through low and trap him lbw after facing 131 balls and hitting 12 fours.

Tim Bresnan, who joins up with England at Lord's tomorrow, became Cork's fifth victim before Steve Patterson fell to Balcombe. Eager to make up for lost time, Yorkshire declared to leave Hampshire with three overs in which to bat and they closed on eight without loss. Two of the overs were bowled by Bresnan, who will now be replaced by Richard Pyrah.