Kendall thrives in ill wind

Hampshire 269-6 v Yorkshire

John Crawley's striking 79 won the plaudits, but this wild and windy day really belonged to Will Kendall. Dropped at slip off Matthew Hoggard when on 16 he had an even airier escape at 34.

The crosswind had become so fierce that the bails, which were blown off, were replaced by Headingley's heavy bails, then by umpire Mervyn Kitchen's own, which also blew off. So when Kendall nicked Chris Silverwood off an inside edge to the boundary, Richard Blakey claiming the off stump had been hit on the way, umpire Kitchen was nonplussed. He could not see clearly, nor could Silverwood.

The stump was marked – in three places. Kendall had to be given the benefit and Hampshire, cruising on a bland pitch, prospered through the occasional showers. They lost Derek Kenway, Hoggard's only success in an unlucky long opening spell. Silverwood will bowl worse and take wickets, but Steve Kirby, tinkered with last winter, has lost a third of his run and half his fire.

If Yorkshire lose their next match, wrote a pundit this week, "the knives will be out". Scabbards were discarded a good fortnight ago. Five successive championship defeats, starting from last September, is the worst sequence since 1889 when the team lost seven in a row in mid-season.

That sad summer, Yorkshire's fielding was described as "execrable" after a reported 12 catches were dropped off Bobby Peel's bowling at Brighton. That September, four first-teamers were fired, including the 25-year-old star fast bowler Joe Preston. "Demon drink" was blamed.

This sad spring, Yorkshire's difficulties are far more complex. What is certain is that unless matters improve shortly the coach, Wayne Clark, and the captain, Darren Lehmann, will have to explain such mysteries as why 39 overs passed before one England bowler (Richard Dawson) appeared and 48 before another (Craig White) was used. Why has Dawson been omitted so often?

What was heartening for the huddled faithful was Hoggard's line and bounce, accounting for Kenway, caught behind. Dawson beat Crawley's back foot defensive shot (15 fours in his 79), to end a stand of 145 in 35 overs and when Hoggard at last yorked the stubborn Kendall (67 in 61 overs) Yorkshire reached their 12th point of the season. Northamptonshire were relegated last year with 148.

Yorkshire probably felt that they had had a better day, but this pitch is already showing varying lift at the Kirkstall Lane end. Giles White was scuttled by Silverwood's first ball and Robin Smith by the fifth, a lifter, in his third spell.