Defeat sends Hampshire into the relegation mire

A spirited resistance from the Hampshire tail was not enough to keep Yorkshire from victory at the Rose Bowl and send the home county deeper into the relegation mire with just two games remaining.

With an away trip to Hove next week ahead of the visit of the County Champions-elect Surrey to close the season, it has put Hampshire's chances of beating the drop as very slim indeed.

The disasters of the previous evening, where four wickets fell for four runs in the space of 30 balls in the last half-hour, were too much to recoup and things got even worse when Will Kendall fell to the very first ball of the day and was followed by the limping Nic Pothas, who with the aid of a runner, scored just two.

Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shaun Udal carried some hope as they shared a 38-run stand for the ninth wicket to take Hampshire beyond the 100 lead. But when Richard Dawson dismissed Udal to capture a five-wicket haul with a doubtful lbw decision - Udal's distain as he left the field showed he felt he got bat on ball - it was all but done for.

Set 151 for victory, Yorkshire lost opener Chris Taylor to an inswinger from Mascarenhas but Vic Craven and overseas replacement Matthew Elliott surged the Tykes forward with a stand of 110.

Craven, after making a career-best 72, drove the persevering Udal, who had opened the bowling, to mid-off and Elliott with his second half-century of the match meant the Northern county headed for Lord's and the C&G Trophy Final in good heart - and with more than a sniff of avoiding the drop.

It was not before Anthony McGrath had also been dismissed, caught behind by Academy youngster Tom Burrows, who kept wicket in place of knee-injury victim Pothas. A sign of the future, 17-year-old Burrows performed creditably and was delighted to capture his first dismissal in what is hoped to be a Hampshire career.

But a seven-wicket victory for the reigning County Champions has left Hampshire with much to do.