HAMPSHIRE veteran Jimmy Adams rolled back the years with his first County Championship century of the season last night.

Adams, who made the first championship century of his career against Yorkshire at Headingley in 2006, registered his 23rd as Hampshire reached 245-3 in reply to the Tykes’ 350 under the Ageas Bowl floodlights.

He reached stumps on 132 (257 balls) after adding an unbroken 177 for the fourth wicket with Tom Alsop, who faced 187 balls for his 62 (nine fours)

Yorkshire began day two on 315-7 but Fidel Edwards soon bowled Tim Bresnan with a slower-ball yorker and Dale Steyn had his first five-fer for two years when Jack Brooks backed away and edged to second slip.

Kyle Abbott continues to struggle for rhythm but at least ended the innings with a wicket when Steve Patterson slapped him to Steyn, who had been cut for successive fours by the Yorkshire captain, at mid-off.

Adams soon lost his opening partner Joe Weatherley, pinned on the crease by Jack Brooks in the fourth over.

James Vince helped Adams add 54 before Hampshire’s captain and Sam Northeast were bowled in successive overs.

Vince was beaten by a Brooks off-cutter and Hampshire were 68-3 when Northeast lost his middle stump playing down the wrong line to Patterson five balls later.

But Tom Alsop showed he has the appetite for the longer form by batting for 64.3 overs alongside Adams.

Admirably patient, he faced 43 balls before scoring the first of his fours, a cut against Ben Coad to go to seven.

His fellow left-hander kept the pressure off during 387 balls of attritional cricket against the pink Kookaburra ball that is being used for the first time in the county championship.

Adams reached his fifty from 53 balls with his third four in five balls against Adam Lyth and went on to bring up his century from 182 balls with the 17th of his boundaries, a square cut off Tim Bresnan.

Adams said: “It's been a battle at times for me this year. Even the first ten balls today were a battle, I was wondering whether my coordination had gone! But you find a way to get through it. People say one's round the corner, I've always said that's rubbish, but today proved them right.”

Alsop continued to play the anchor role, reaching his sixth first-class fifty from 151 balls.

He was dropped at the wicket on 43 but there were no other chances offered as Hampshire reached stumps trailing by 105 runs.

It was dig-deep cricket that did not help to attract the flood of evening spectators it was hoped day/night Championship cricket would (the attendance over the last two days has been the Ageas Bowl’s lowest for a long time).

But it was very necessary and has put Hampshire in a position to gain a first-innings lead against the county immediately above them in the first division’s bottom three.