Hampshire have struggled thus far to live up to their pre-season tag of Division Two title favourites. Widely regarded as having the strongest squad in the second tier, there has been little to justify that or the bookmakers' faith in their opening five County Championship fixtures.

They were sixth heading into this contest between last season's two relegated sides but have excelled against the joint-leaders. It has been a rousing performance, inspired by their Australian import Simon Katich's 196 and a maiden hundred from the wicketkeeper Michael Bates.

Such was their dominance during a record-equalling 170 for Hampshire's sixth wicket against Yorkshire that it was hard to envisage the mode of its conclusion. The answer was via a needless run-out in the fourth over of a second day delayed until 2.30pm by overnight rain, when Bates was left short of his ground at the batsman's end by Andrew Gale's throw after Katich drove straight down the pitch.

Four more wickets followed but they were by-products of the gloomy conditions that favoured seam bowling, rather than mis-hits against an attack whose willing outlasted penetration. The leg-spinner Adil Rashid, cast into the international wilderness in November 2009, returned his best figures of the season to date but of the trio of successes only Katich was a genuine victory – a top-edged sweep gobbled up at mid-on.

Rashid, now 24, appears to be going through the spinner's midlife crisis. His stock has plunged so significantly since his final one-day appearance for England reaped figures of 3-0-27-0 against South Africa in Centurion that whispers of regret at David Wainwright's release last September have been audible among Headingley's membership. However, the management remain confident his time will come again, following work with the spin consultant Jack Birkenshaw to alter his approach and action.

Despite their mid-innings struggles, Yorkshire should still have secured maximum bowling points. However, the opportunity slipped through their fingers, quite literally, when a skier by Kabir Ali off Rashid evaded Steven Patterson's grasp running back from mid-on with Hampshire 397 for eight in the 109th over. A cut to the boundary by Kabir secured a full batting set for the visitors two balls later.

Kabir, who made his solitary England Test appearance on this ground nine years ago, provided the perfect start with the ball when Adam Lyth perished, shouldering arms, in the opening over of Yorkshire's reply. Division Two's leading wicket-taker David Balcombe then accounted for the England Lions opener Joe Root but the moment of magic, that reduced the hosts to 32 for three, was provided by Hampshire's other one-cap wonder.

Batsmen do not generally take liberties with Michael Carberry, renowned as one of the best fielders on the circuit. Phil Jaques did, by calling for a single to cover, and sacrificed Gale, who would not have been in the picture on a freeze-frame as the stumps were shattered at the striker's end.

So it was left to Jaques and Gary Ballance, whose double century alliance charged Yorkshire to their 400-run victory target in Bristol last weekend, to progress the hosts towards a similarly stiff target – the 278 to avoid the follow-on. They have so far shared 68.