Cricket: Yorkshire miss injured duo

Kent 302 Yorkshire 10-1

GAVIN HAMILTON, a selected winter tourist, and Paul Hutchison, an A tour candidate, dropped out of this match before the start yesterday. Yorkshire sent Hamilton for a scan, fearing a recurring hamstring complaint might precede back trouble. Hutchison has another back strain.

Hamilton is to seek specialist help about his hamstring trouble to join the growing list of players in doubt for England's tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Hamilton was selected in England's 17-man winter party on Monday despite suspected recent hamstring problems and he limped out of Yorkshire's Northern Electric Trophy match with Durham here on Tuesday after just two overs.

The recurrence forced him out of this championship match and prompted new fears about his ability to withstand the rigours of a winter tour, particularly as team-mate Darren Gough and Alex Tudor have still to prove their fitness.

Yorkshire believe the problem is either chronic hamstring trouble or a lower back disorder and have sent him for further medical advice in an attempt to cure the problem before England's scheduled departure for Johannesburg on 26 October.

It seems ironic that in a time when Yorkshire have more top-class seam bowlers than at any time since the war they should struggle to have two fit together, with Hamilton and Hutchison rejoining Gough and Matthew Hoggard in the treatment room. So it was a surprise when David Byas sent in Kent for, while the pitch had a touch of green, there was no malice.

Yesterday's match-ball sponsor was The Original Ghost Walk of York, which is pretty well what Kent experienced through a cool, clear morning. If the spirits of Rhodes and Hirst were present they would have given smiling approval to the whole-hearted attacking of Chris Silverwood and Ryan Sidebottom.

Silverwood, quick and hostile, removed the openers. Sidebottom had been bowling for 75 minutes when he had David Fulton leg-before and, next ball, bowled Matthew Walker off an inside edge. Alan Wells was run out by a swoop and direct hit from Gary Fellows at cover

But after 37 overs in rising temperature Yorkshire's front-line attack was puffed. The beneficiaries were Mark Ealham, Kent's acting captain, and Steve Marsh, who took 25 off three overs of experimental spin from Ian Fisher as Byas cast about for bowlers to fill the gaps.

Up came Anthony McGrath, who normally purveys one-day dobbers. He first restrained the flow and then trapped Marsh after the sixth-wicket stand had raised 86 in 21 overs. Silverwood, returning for a third spell just before tea, removed Ealham - one six and nine fours in his 59 made in three hours - and had Dean Headley beautifully caught low at slip with his first ball after tea

Kent were still not finished. Martin McCague lashed a tiring attack for 10 fours in his 50, Min Patel (missed twice in the outfield) picked off the loose balls to help raise another 68 in 17 overs before Silverwood was called on yet again to break a last-wicket defiance and take his fifth wicket. If he were Australian, or South African, he would be in a tour party to this country.

Dean Headley, moving the ball late, made Matthew Wood's miserable season more wretched in the third of the five remaining overs, dismissing him for six.