LONDON, April 26: England reject Matthew Hoggard bolstered his bid for a Test recall by taking six for 57, his best County Championship figures for five years, as Yorkshire dominated Hampshire on the third day of their First Division clash at Headingley on Friday.

The 31-year-old, dropped by England after they lost the first Test against New Zealand at Hamilton in March before going on to win the series 2-1, added to the five wickets he had taken on Thursday by striking with the first ball of the third day.

His return was his best for Yorkshire since he took seven wickets in an innings against Somerset at Headingley five years ago and, with conditions at Lord’s, where the first Test against New Zealand starts on May 15, expected to assist swing bowlers, Hoggard’s Test exile could soon be over.

Hoggard’s haul helped Yorkshire enforce the follow-on and at stumps Hampshire, in their second innings, were struggling at 136 for four heading into Saturday’s final day of four.

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq took five for 83 as Kent were bowled out for 204 in reply to Sussex’s first innings 303 at Hove.

Scores on Friday:

County Championship (third day of four):

First Division:

At Chester-le-Street: Durham 224 (D.M. Benkenstein 67, M. Stoneman 59) and 76-2; Surrey 183 (M.A. Butcher 65; G. Onions 4-73).

At Old Trafford: No play Friday due to rain. Somerset 238 (M.E. Trescothick 77, I.D.R. Blackwell 64); Lancashire 221-9 (P. Horton 64).

At Hove: Sussex 303 (M.J. Prior 105; Yasir Arafat 4-88) and 179-7 (M.J. Prior 59, L.J. Wright 58); Kent 204 (G.O. Jones 51 not out; Mushtaq Ahmed 5-83).

At Headingley: Yorkshire 398 (A. Gale 138, J.A. Rudolph 59); Hampshire 159 (M.J. Hoggard 6-57) and 136-4 (M. Brown 58 not out).

Second Division:

At Derby: Essex 270 (R.S. Bopara 137); Derbyshire 239.

At Lord’s: Middlesex 308 (D.C. Nash 96) and 56-0; Glamorgan 300 (J.W.M. Dalrymple 80, M.J. Powell 50; T.J. Murtagh 7-95).

At Northampton: Northamptonshire 385 (N. Boje 105, S. Crook 63, L. Klusener 50; M. Zondeki 4-125) and 170-4 (S.D. Peters 59); Warwickshire 243 (I.D.K. Salisbury 54 not out; N. Boje 4-26).

At Worcester: Worcestershire 300-8 declared (S. Davies 78 not out, V.S. Solanki 65); Leicestershire 170-7.

—AFP