Fast bowler Ajmal Shahzad lit up an otherwise fragmented day of LV= County Championship cricket with four wickets to put Yorkshire in the driving seat after two days against Hampshire at Headingley.

The 25-year-old Ashes winning squad member, formerly of Windhill, took wickets in each of his three fiery spells to leave the visitors tottering on 189-6 from 63 overs in reply to Yorkshire’s 355 all out.

The day, which started with an obdurate batting display from Shahzad and his lower-order colleagues, was punctured by seven separate rain delays.

And neither side was able to get their teeth stuck into the day until Shahzad cranked up the pace after tea.

Having already trapped opener Liam Dawson lbw with one that nipped back off the seam at pace, he then got Neil McKenzie caught at first slip by Adam Lyth, James Vince leg before and Johann Myburgh caught behind as England selector James Whittaker looked on.

Myburgh was Hampshire’s main line of resistance with 64 off 125 balls but he could not last the day.

Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom also struck, and Hampshire still need 17 runs to avoid the follow-on when play resumes tomorrow. They are still 166 runs in arrears.

Shahzad is behind Bresnan, Steve Finn and Chris Tremlett in the race for the third seamer’s spot for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Cardiff in just under a fortnight.

But if he can build on ytoday’s display over the next two days, and for the Lions against the tourists at Derby next week, he could still sneak up on the blindside to form a four-man attack alongside Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann.

Shahzad’s batting will also count in his favour, although he was uncharacteristically defensive during his 48 from 168 balls.

He only added six from 58 balls to his overnight total this morning and was stuck on 48 for 35 minutes.

Bresnan, who resumed on 82, also missed out on a third Championship hundred for Yorkshire, falling 13 runs short.

Hampshire captain Dominic Cork, who will bat tomorrow morning, completed excellent figures of 5-75 from 37.4 overs.

He had Shahzad caught in the slips and bowled Steve Patterson in the midst of a 17.4-over spell that only cost him 15 runs.