YORKSHIRE’S season is off to a losing start after failing to defend a 320 target in a thriller against Hampshire at Headingley.

The first Specsavers County Championship match in charge for coach Andrew Gale and captain Gary Ballance ended in a four-wicket defeat inside the third day’s extra half hour.

Two dropped catches before Hampshire had reached 20 proved crucial in allowing the visitors to lay a platform.

Opener Jimmy Adams was dropped on 11 at second slip by Adam Lyth off Tim Bresnan before posting a patient 72.

Michael Carberry (41) was also handed a life by a diving Peter Handscomb in the gully off Ben Coad on six, although that was much tougher, and he was of three batsmen to post scores in the forties.

But, in truth, Yorkshire’s poor second-innings batting display on Saturday really cost them.

Having taken a first-innings lead of 132 thanks to a brilliant 6-37 from Coad as the visitors were bowled out for 141, Yorkshire had the game in their grasp.

But, in falling to 187 all out second time around, they let it slip.

Former South Africa Test seamer Kyle Abbott was excellent for 7-41 on a pitch offering some help to the pace bowlers, although Yorkshire should have been able to post closer to 250.

It means they start the campaign with a five-point haul.

They travel to Edgbaston on Friday to face a Warwickshire who also look likely losers against Surrey today and there are no guarantees over the return of any of their injured seamers.

Of course, there were some positives.

Coad was excellent in the first innings. He claimed five on Friday evening before adding one more the following morning before four wickets for Bresnan mopped up the tail.

In Ballance, Yorkshire had the only batsman on either side to really prosper.

His 120 in the first innings was his eighth century in eleven matches as a first-class captain before he added 55 in the second.

But there was always a fear that Hampshire would not bat as badly second time around against a bowling attack minus a significant amount of experience.

The pitch was certainly at its best for batting on day three, and while Yorkshire did not bowl badly, they could not match the first innings.

Adams and Carberry shared 91 for the first wicket before the latter, who had pulled Steve Patterson for a huge six, top-edged Coad to long-leg with the first ball of his second spell of the day.

Adams and Vince then shared 69 for the second wicket either side of lunch before the opener was lbw to Azeem Rafiq, again with the first ball of a new spell, as the score fell to 160-2 in the 53rd over.

Coad and Bresnan struck in the final 20 minutes of the afternoon to leave the score at 195-4 in the 67th - Vince caught and bowled for 44 and Sean Ervine caught behind.

South African Rilee Rossouw, who hit 47, and Liam Dawson shared a watchful 57 for the fifth wicket either side of tea, although Yorkshire taking the new ball gave them impetus.

And, unfortunately, two wickets for Bresnan, who had Rossouw caught behind and Dawson brilliantly caught and bowled, proved too little, too late as Hampshire advanced from 263-6 through Lewis McManus and Gareth Berg.