Midsummer turned into late autumn for Yorkshire at the Rose Bowl today where their Championship match against Hampshire was hit by atrocious weather and the start delayed.

Torrential overnight rain was followed by squally showers and gale force winds this morning, putting the whole of the first day's play in doubt.

Yorkshire appear jinxed at Hampshire's new headquarters because the corresponding game last year was also flooded out with the last two days' play being washed away.

Unbeaten on their travels in the Championship this season, Yorkshire badly need a win against one of their main challengers for promotion.

Hampshire stand third in the table and Yorkshire fourth, 22 points adrift, but with the top two clubs, Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan, both looking strong, it is the third promotion spot which is probably up for grabs.

Matthew Wood, captaining Yorkshire in the absence of the injured Craig White, is eager to avoid conceding the double following Hampshire's emphatic win by 119 runs at Headingley in mid-May.

And while Hampshire were busy beating Somerset in the last round of matches, Yorkshire were losing ground through taking only nine points from their rain-ruined draw against Leicestershire.

"It was bitterly disappointing to be foiled by the weather after winning at Chelmsford and Riverside and we must beat Hampshire in order to close the gap that there is between us," said Yorkshire's director of cricket David Byas.

"We had hoped the weather would allow us a full game at the Rose Bowl but it now looks as if it will be badly curtailed."

Although Yorkshire are short on experience through the absence of White (hamstring), Darren Lehmann (back in Australia for the series with Sri Lanka) and Anthony McGrath (England), Byas said he was looking forward to watching the younger players perform.

"There are a number of players in the team who are desperately hungry for first team cricket and who have occasionally expressed their concern at not getting into the side," he said.

"But now they have got their chance and it is up to them to seize it with both hands. I feel really buoyed up by the team we will be putting out and I believe they are capable of doing very well indeed."

If Andy Gray plays it will be his first game of the season after struggling early on with a broken bone in his wrist and Byas hopes that the inclusion of both Gray and Vic Craven will give extra bowling options if they are required.

Sheriff Hutton-based pace bowler Nick Thornicroft was a late addition to the squad.

Updated: 11:01 Wednesday, June 23, 2004