By Gary Watton
April 18 2016

The reigning champions need not panic their pretty little heads about this opening stalemate. Clearly the batting conditions neutered the bowling on both sides to an extent. Besides, the Tykes also made a sluggish start last year, as I recall, before they got into a winning stride in mid-summer. A series of low scores for some of our batsmen will be a cause for concern. I'm just disappointed that the county has not availed itself of a stand-in overseas player, like Pujara from last April and May. We certainly have a strong batting line-up, when one considers that Rashid, Plunkett, and also Bresnan can come in and compile centuries if all else fails in front of them. However, we will have to make do without Bairstow and Root for much of the summer, so it is important that Leaning and Lees step up to the mark with some big knocks, to take the burden off Lyth and Williamson and Gale.

YORKSHIRE versus Hampshire; Leeds; Sunday the 17th to Wednesday the 20th April. Hampshire chose to bowl.

YORKSHIRE first innings: 593 for nine declared (Bairstow 246, Plunkett 126, Lyth 111)

Hampshire first innings: 453 for nine declared (Ervine 123, Vince 119, Wheater 62, McLaren 55*; Sidebottom 4-80)

YORKSHIRE second innings: 183 for eight declared (Tomlinson 3-31)

Match drawn. YORKSHIRE twelve points, Hampshire ten points.

Lyth - 126 runs and a catch was a good return for the England reject. Hopefully Adam can rediscover his fine form of 2014. I don't expect an England recall however.

Lees - England are crying out for a cosmic new opener, but Alex is not putting himself in the frame after scores of seven and one. He needs to get his act together.

Ballance -  Taylor's enforced absence has left the England door ajar for Gary but he too fluffed his lines, with measly contributuons of twelve and four.

Gale - His second-innings forty-six steadied the rocking ship and atoned for a first-innings duck egg. Andrew remains erratic but still capable of great displays.

Bairstow - Now firmly implanted in the England team, this will be a rare outing for Jonny at Yorkshire. He certainly made the most of it, posting a career-best innings.

Leaning - Jack could push for inclusion in the England Lions or the senior squad, but certainly not after knocks of one and eighteen. Improvement is badly required.

Rashid - The all-rounder chipped in with fifty-six runs and actually bowled quite economically, but his thirty-two overs failed to yield a single wicket.

Plunkett - The big guy had a match to remember, hitting 153 runs. He also bowled reasonably well, taking the important early wicket of Michael Carberry.

Patterson - Six runs from two innings was unsatisfactory, but his bowling was reasonably good, as he conceded 75 runs from 31 overs, whilst taking two wickets.

Brooks - Unbeaten scores of thirteen and fifteen could see him shuffled one place up the batting order. Unfortunately his bowling amounted to one for 103 runs.

Sidebottom - The veteran didn't have to bat in either innings, but he proved to be our most potent bowling weapon yet again, taking four wickets from 27.4 overs.