Kent unable to withstand Yorkshire seamers

CricInfo Championship leaders Yorkshire fired out second-placed Kent for 212 at Headingley yesterday to justify skipper David Byas' decision to ask the visitors to bat first.

Yorkshire then reached five without loss before rain wiped out the last 20 overs of the day.

Top bowler for Yorkshire was paceman Matthew Hoggard who captured four for 48 and then learned as he walked off the field that he had been called up by England for their One-Day International with Pakistan at Edgbaston tomorrow (Thursday).

Hoggard, who replaces the injured Andy Caddick in the NatWest triangular tournament, was able to go home to pick up fresh kit before joining up with the England squad in Birmingham.

Yorkshire are now allowed to draft in another player who can bowl in the Kent second innings but Byas said a final decision on who it would be would not be taken until the morning. Ryan Sidebottom is out of the reckoning because of sore shins.

Chris Silverwood chipped in with three wickets as Kent collapsed and there were two for Craig White in his first bowl for Yorkshire since May 11.

White is hoping to recover from his back injury in time for the Ashes series but he said he was unable to bowl at anywhere near full pace in his nine overs and felt he may need further tests to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem.

Yorkshire seemed to have made a mistake in inserting Kent when they stood at 96 for one at one stage but their batting went to pieces against persistent bowling.

Top-scorer Ed Smith looked good for a century until he drove loosely at Hoggard and was caught at slip by Byas for 84 from 155 balls with 14 fours.

Opener Rob Key also made a solid half-century but when he had reached 58 he also had a wild flash outside off stump at Hoggard and was caught by wicketkeeper Richard Blakey.