Yorkshire v Hampshire: Anthony McGrath leads Tykes fightback

County Championship Division Two, Headingley Carnegie
Close, day three: Hampshire 427 & 21-1 v Yorkshire 399-9 dec
Yorks 6pts, Hants 7pts
Match scorecard

Anthony McGrath hit an unbeaten century as Yorkshire fought back on day three against Hampshire at Headingley.

After resuming on 100-3, the home side lost Phil Jacques for 93 and Gary Ballance (76) as they slipped to 193-5.

But McGrath shepherded the tail expertly, hitting 106 not out in over four hours at the crease as Yorkshire declared on 399-9 to trail by 28.

Hampshire extended that lead to 49 as they reached the close on 21-1, Liam Dawson the man out.

McGrath's ton came exactly 17 years to the day that he made his first-class debut for the county against Glamorgan at Bradford.

He offered only one chance before reaching three figures - his 33rd first-class ton for Yorkshire - too, when Simon Katich put down a simple catch at first slip after McGrath edged Kabir Ali.

And his innings proved vital given that at one stage his side were 237-7, needing 41 more to avoid the follow-on.

They comfortably negotiated that threat in the end and will head into the final day with all three results possible.

There was also a notable milestone for Australian Jacques, who passed 14,000 first-class runs when he reached 86, but he missed out on a second successive century when he was caught round the corner off Dawson to end a stand of 149 for the fourth wicket with Ballance.