A championship-best ton for Simon Katich ensured that Hampshire were not asked to follow on for the second time in as many games at Scarborough yesterday.

Katich, pictured, arrived at the crease when Derek Kenway played a Steven Kirby delivery on to his own stumps in the first over of Hampshire's reply to Yorkshire's 384.

And he was still there when wicketkeeper Simon Guy held on to a bat/pad catch to remove James Bruce, after batting for four and a half hours with nine different partners for his 143 not out.

His previous highest championship score was an unbeaten 137 for Durham in 2000 and yesterday he helped Hampshire recover from a perilous 7-3.

A brilliant low catch at third slip did for Jimmy Adams and an inside edge ensured that John Crawley's miserable run continued shortly after Kenway's exit.

Crawley has now failed to reach 30 in his last ten championship innings and when he departed all of Hampshire's seven runs had come in no balls and a leg bye - Crawley was the fifth successive player on either side to be out for 0.

Francis managed Hampshire's first runs off the bat in the fifth over but, after contributing eight more, he became the second of Chris Silverwood's four victims, having helped Katich put on 89 for the fourth wicket.

James Hamblin was playing his first championship game since Yorkshire visited the Rose Bowl last August after twin centuries in Hampshire's last second XI match.

But when he lost his leg stump to a Silverwood yorker next ball, Hampshire were reeling on 96-5, still 139 short of the 235 needed to avoid the follow on.

Katich was running out of partners when Mascarenhas edged a Ryan Sidebottom leg cutter to first slip four overs later, but Shaun Udal, Brunnschweiler and Tremlett all provided valuable support.

Udal, who had earlier enjoyed a spell of 4-2-4-3 to help wrap up the Yorkshire innings, helped add 52 in just eight overs before he played across a delivery from part time medium pacer Vic Craven that kept low.

Then Brunnschweiler batted responsibly in his maiden championship innings. He was still there at tea, unbeaten on 34 with Hampshire 226-7, still nine runs short of avoiding the follow on.

Brunnschweiler was beaten for pace by Silverwood without adding to his score in the first over after tea, having struck three boundaries on the way to his career best first class score.

And Tremlett ensured that Hampshire would not be following on when he guided Silverwood to the mid wicket boundary for his first runs.

Tremlett added 52 with Katich for the ninth wicket before he edged Sidebottom to Stephen Fleming and then Bruce helped limit the first innings deficit to a two digit figure.

Hampshire ended both innings as the stronger side. They began the second day by taking the last five wickets of Yorkshire's first innings for 58 runs after the home side had resumed on 326-5.

Brunnschweiler continued his impressive start to championship cricket by holding on to a brilliant diving catch to remove opposite number Simon Guy at the beginning of Tremlett's first over.

And Udal took two wickets in four balls in his second over to remove Yuvraj Singh and Andy Gray.

Indian one day star Singh spliced a drive to Francis at cover and Gray was beaten by Udal's quicker ball. Sidebottom was given a reprieve when Katich dropped a sharp chance at second slip. But the left hander did not capitalise, scratching around for ten minutes before driving Bruce to mid off.

When Kirby prodded Udal to short leg, Yorkshire were all out having lost their last eight wickets for 86 runs. But Yorkshire's openers ended the day by showing their tail how it should be done, finishing on 23-0, a lead of 118.