Yorkshire batsman Phil Jaques became the first player to score a championship hundred against Hampshire this season.

And when play began this morning, he needed just three more runs for the highest individual score ever recorded at the Rose Bowl.

Back in May 2001, in only the third championship game played at Hampshire's new home, Sussex's Murray Goodwin struck what remains the Rose Bowl record 195.

But Jaques was unbeaten on a 247-ball 193 and on the cusp of the ground's first double hundred at stumps last night.

The 25-year-old, a New South Wales teammate of Michael Clarke, dominated the second day's play as fourth-placed Yorkshire turned the screw on the side immediately above them in the county championship's second division.

Only 64 balls had been possible on day one, which ended with Jaques unbeaten on 22 and Yorkshire 34 for 1.

After a rain-affected morning yesterday, the left-hander continued his serene progress, scoring a remarkable 72 per cent of Yorkshire's runs as the visitors closed on 268 for 3.

Hampshire had begun the day with four of their bowlers - Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, Chris Tremlett and Billy Taylor - in the top five of the first class averages.

Playing six of the first eight championship games at the Rose Bowl has done their cause no harm, but Jaques dented their figures in becoming the fifth batsman of the season to score a championship hundred at West End.

For the record, Michael Brown, Derek Kenway, Nic Pothas and Shane Watson are the others.

But Jaques, who scored 117 for Northamptonshire against Hampshire in the National League at Wantage Road last season, became the first visiting player to score a championship hundred at the Rose Bowl since Worcestershire's James Pipe last September.

It was a magnificent effort.

Jaques did not offer Hampshire a chance throughout and reached the first of his three fifties in audacious fashion - by clipping Mascarenhas, the country's leading bowler in the championship, over mid-wicket for the first of his six sixes.

Jaques, who also hit 23 fours, later hit a replica six against Mascarenhas and followed with four more maximum hits over the short, leg side boundary - two off Alan Mullally and two sweeps against Shaun Udal's off spin.

It was an emphatic day for Yorkshire as Hampshire's celebrated attack mustered just two wickets between them.

Granted, 26 overs were lost to rain but for the first time this season Hampshire looked to be missing Shane Warne, as they toiled for the wickets of Chris Taylor and Michael Lumb.

Taylor (22) edged Udal to Michael Clarke at first slip after playing second fiddle in a partnership of 115 with Jaques for the second wicket.

And Nic Pothas's athleticism behind the stumps handed Billy Taylor the wicket of Lumb (18), following an 86-run partnership for the third wicket. But, ominously for Hampshire, Jaques was still there at the close, and looked set for his career best, which is currently the 222 he hit for Northants, ironically against Yorkshire, last season.

Hampshire manager Paul Terry, above, was full of admiration. He said: "He played and missed from time to time but to score such a high percentage of the runs is a very good effort.

"We've seen an awful lot of good batting on this wicket recently.

"We had Shane Watson's innings last week and a few of our guys have hit good hundreds here at the Rose Bowl as well."

More showers are forceast for tomorrow (Saturday) which, together with Jaques' masterclass, is likely to prevent Hampshire from winning their sixth championship game of the season.

Terry added: "The weather has been frustrating for both sides, because in the position we're in we both want a result out of this game.

"But the way Yorkshire are going, they might bat us out of it."