Rain claims opening day

Steve Harmison's Yorkshire debut was put on hold as the opening day of Yorkshire's LV= County Championship match at Hampshire was washed out.

The match at the Ageas Bowl was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Yorkshire have recruited the 33-year-old former England fast bowler on a one-month loan to cover for injuries and international commitments.

Yorkshire are deprived of Ryan Sidebottom by a calf injury for up to four Championship games, and Mitchell Starc for the next two as he lines up for Australia A.

Batting first, they would have hoped not to need Harmison in any case, but openers Joe Root and Adam Lyth were left frustrated 15 minutes before a proposed start when the third South Coast thunderstorm of the day ended any prospect of play.

Put in to bat, Yorkshire had spent a frustrating day cooped up in the dressing room.

Play had been scheduled to begin at 11am but just before Hampshire were due to take the field, the Ageas Bowl was hit by another storm.

The entire morning and afternoon sessions were lost to the elements as head groundsman Nigel Gray and his oilskin-topped staff worked tirelessly to get play under way.

Shortly after umpires Nigel Cowley and George Sharp gave the thumbs-up for play to begin, the elements struck again and the day was written off.