CLOSE - YORKSHIRE 161-7 (BRESNAN 5*, GOUGH 4*) AFTER 52.3 OVERS

For the time being, Hampshire are still in with a mathematical chance of winning the Championship.

A successful day for Hampshire's seam attack at Headingley, after Yorkshire had won the toss, has kept Shane Warne and his men dreaming of the seemingly impossible.

Darren Gough, the Yorkshire captain, had no hesitation in batting first, despite the overcast conditions, to keep alive his side's own faint hopes of winning the Championship.

Yorkshire wanted first use of the pitch to maximise their own chances of taking maximum points - and to nullify the threat of Warne as the match progresses.

But Hampshire's relatively inexperienced seam attack capitalised on the overcast conditions to reduce Yorkshire to 161-7 at the end of a day during which 51.3 overs were lost to rain.

The fifth interruption brought play to a premature close at 4.50pm but the good news is that Hampshire are on course for a maximum points win that keeps things interesting in the top half of the Championship table.

While the main focus yesterday was on Lancashire's struggles against Mark Ramprakash at the Brit Oval, Sussex's first innings against Worcestershire and the clatter of wickets at Canterbury, Hampshire were battling for fourth place, and possibly more, at Yorkshire.

Before play, Hampshire were a point behind the home side but Yorkshire will be mathematically ruled out of the title running if they are bowled out for less than 200 today following Lancashire's accumulation of two bowling points against Surrey.

Hampshire are relying on Surrey stuffing Lancashire by the sort of hefty margin endured by Warne and his men against Kent last week, as well as Worcestershire holding Sussex to a draw and Kent denying Durham.

So Ramprakash's unbeaten 180 against Lancashire, the bad light that brought an early end to proceedings at Hove, and Kent's fightback at Canterbury would all have been welcomed in the Hampshire dressing room.

But, first and foremost, there is a job to do at Headingley and the seam attack was well led by James Bruce (3-60), who was backed up well by David Balcombe (2-38) and Sean Ervine (2-48).

Bruce found the outside edge of Andrew Gale with the second ball of the day and left handers Joe Sayers and Jaques Rudolph both edged Sean Ervine to Warne at second slip either side of the dismissal of England captain Michael Vaughan before lunch.

Vaughan lost his off stump after playing on to David Balcombe the over after the Hampshire youngster had the England skipper dropped by Ervine at third slip on 24.

The luckless Balcombe also had Adil Rashid dropped by Nic Pothas on seven, by which time Inzaman-ul-Haq had become the only player to be dismissed during the 13 overs that were possible during the afternoon session.

Inzaman's 51 was higher than his aggregate from his three previous Championship innings for Yorkshire.

But his dismissal to a Bruce delivery that kept horribly low, and those of Gerard Brophy and Rashid in successive overs after tea, ensured that a truncated first day belonged to Hampshire.

Brophy nicked Balcombe to first slip where his former Yorkshire teammate Michael Lumb, who is back at Headingley for the first time since his departure for the Rose Bowl at the end of last season, held on.

Rashid played on after failing to retrieve his bat in time as he shouldered arms against Bruce to leave Yorkshire, Championship leaders for much of the season, hoping for fourth place at best.