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Hampshire Secure Draw As Ballance Stands Firm On Final Day
Hampshire Secure Draw As Ballance Stands Firm On Final Day
Hampshire secured a draw on day four of their Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at the The Ageas Bowl
Hampshire fought admirably on but were thwarted in their efforts for Specsavers County Championship victory against Yorkshire in their four-day fixture at the The Ageas Bowl.
Hampshire remain unbeaten with the result and come out the clash with 11 points to Yorkshire’s eight – to keep their title bid on track.
Yorkshire's Gary Ballance (203) started the day on 78 not out and turned that into three figures mid-way through the morning off 210 balls.
The Zimbabwean-born man appeared in little danger on a flat track with an old ball getting softer.
Hampshire had been kept in the field for over two days – having ended their first innings at tea on day two and forced their visitors to follow-on.
They were also hindered as for the second game in succession they were forced to bowled with a bowler light – with Brad Wheal nursing a side strain.
Hampshire were waiting patiently for the 19 morning overs before they would be rewarded with a new ball, with which they believed would allow them to force a win.
But the hosts managed to strike to end an 88-run stand between Ballance and Australian star Peter Handscomb.
Handscomb went too early with a flick to the leg side to chip a leading edge back to bowler Liam Dawson (1-88).
The new cherry arrived and worked immediately as Kyle Abbott (3-65) forced England's Jonny Bairstow into a thick edge with the first delivery after changing balls – James Vince completing the wicket with the catch.
Yet Ballance battled well despite the harder ball and continued to drag the game towards a draw.
With Tim Bresnan, the pair added slow runs to make any potential chase disappear whilst holding strongly onto their wicket.
Ballance, who had become the first Yorkshire skipper to score a century in both innings in a match, brought up his 150 in 336 balls.
The duo put on 94 runs for the sixth wicket in 42 overs before Bresnan fell shortly after tea when Reece Topley (1-87) found his outside edge to feather behind.
Ballance cut away to the boundary to bring up a double century from 384 balls and with that, at 4:50pm, James Vince and Ballance shook hands to finalise the result
