Gale blows hot to put Yorkshire in control

5:03am Thursday 24th April 2008

Michael Vaughan had to rely on his Yorkshire team-mates to save his blushes again at Headingley, as Andrew Gale's excellent unbeaten 99 steered the tykes toward a very competitive total on the first day of their new County Championship season.

While Vaughan managed to score more runs from his first stroke of the match, when clipping Chris Tremlett to deep square for three, than he did in two innings in Yorskhire's final warm-up game with Leeds Bradford UCCE, his resurgence would be short-lived.

He survived a scare when he was dropped on three at short leg by Michael Brown, although, in truth, had he held on to the ball that zipped toward him at point-blank range it would have been a spectacular take. The England captain's luck didn't hold, however, and just as he was starting to get into his rhythm he edged Shane Bond to Greg Lamb at third slip and he made sure Brown's drop wasn't too costly by comfortably taking the catch, Vaughan going for 19.

With Joe Sayers also failing to fire, a century partnership between Gale and Jacques Rudolph got the Tykes back on track, with both making 50.

Yorkshire's momentum was stalled by an old boy, Michael Lumb coming back to haunt his old club by clinging on to a Rudolph edge, the South African going for 59.

Lumb's delight at holding on to the catch was evident as he leapt into the air, but his and Hampshire's joy was short-lived as Gale's magnificent knock took Yorkshire past 250.

Despite looking nervy as he reached the nineties, Gale insists he won't be losing any sleep despite being one run short of his hundred.

"Hopefully I won't dream about it too much!" he said. "I'll just go home and try to get an early night. It would have been nice to get my hundred today but that's how the game goes."

Adil Rashid became Bond's second victim for 15, while Gerard Brophy's excellent 40 from 49 balls nudged the Tykes toward a healthy total, particularly after losing the toss and being forced to bat on what began as an overcast and gloomy day, the first hour of which was lost to rain.

On 96 Gale almost threw away his chance of a century. Trying to smash the dangerous Chris Tremlett through cover, he only managed a looped top edge that Bond looked to catch with a full length dive. He couldn't quite make it stick, despite seeming to squeeze his fingers underneath the ball.

"I thought I was in trouble," said Gale, "I wanted to run down the pitch and hit it again so he couldn't get there!"

Gale and Bresnan negotiated the final overs without further loss and at stumps Yorkshire were 270 for six.