Clark makes Hampshire debut

The Hampshire new boy played in one Super Eight match, taking 1-16 against Ireland, before Australia won their third-successive World Cup in Barbados on Saturday.

Clark was all set to fly home with the rest of the victorious squad to Sydney Airport, where thousands welcomed their heroes yesterday, and then on to the SCG for breakfast with the Australia Prime Minister John Howard.

But Cricket Australia gave him permission to get off the plane at Heathrow on Tuesday - in time to begin his seven-week Rose Bowl stint against Yorkshire.

He did not take long to make an impact.

After being given the new ball when Shane Warne lost the toss, he played a key role in the dismissals of two dangermen during yesterday's afternoon session.

He ran out England skipper Michael Vaughan from mid-on, and then had Jacques Rudolph caught down the leg side before Younis Khan and Adil Rashid put on 99 for the sixth wicket.

Clark bowled a first spell of 7-1-24-0, a second of 4-1-13-1 and a maiden against Matthew Hoggard with the penultmate over of the day, during which he revived memories of the last Ashes series. It was taking 26 England wickets at just 17.03 during the 2006-07 whitewash that persuaded Warne to bring Clark to the Rose Bowl.

Since then, however, he has only played one first-class match - he took 10-94 for New South Wales against Western Australia in Perth two months ago. And as he can only play in a maximum of six championship games before returning to Australia on June 20, he did not want to waste the opportunity to face leaders Yorkshire.

After helping to bowl out the visitors for 299 with 1-37 from his 12 overs, he said: "I was a bit rusty because I haven't bowled much recently, but it was just nice to be out there playing.

"It was a satisfying day considering I haven't played much cricket. The wicket's very good for batting on and hopefully we'll show how good it is tomorrow."

Clark replaced Shaun Udal (ankle) and was preferred to Chris Tremlett, who is not quite ready for four-day cricket after making his comeback from a three-month lay off in the Friends Provident Trophy defeat at Essex last Sunday.

His first contribution of note could not have been a bigger wicket.

After Yorkshire had lunched on 77-2, Vaughan attempted a quick single to Clark at mid on but was sent back by Younis Khan and comfortably run out for 72 (123 balls) in his first first-class innings for 11 months.

Vaughan was desperate for runs as he prepares for the first Test against the West Indies on May 17.

Having survived being run out on two when Chris Benham should have done better from point, he recovered to make a fluent fifty.

During the morning session, Vaughan saw opening partner Joe Sayers caught by his former Yorkshire teammate Michael Lumb at mid-wicket and Warne had Anthony McGrath caught at forward short leg in the last over before lunch.

Then Clark contributed to the departures of the England captain and the controversial 'Kolpak' signing Rudolph before James Bruce (4-56) took his first wicket towards the end of the middle session.

That left Yorkshire 183-7, but Rashid showed why he is so highly rated with a 54 that included five boundaries - three of which came in successive balls from the impressive Tomlinson - during the sixth-wicket stand with Khan.

Despite Clark's arrival, it was Bruce and Tomlinson who were handed the second new ball and they responded by blowing away the tail, taking the last five wickets in 53 balls, and for just 17 runs.

Bruce trapped Khan (106 from 151 balls) lbw on the back foot before catching Rashid at long leg in the following over.

Then he took two more in three balls in his next over.

Jason Gillespie was sensationally caught in the slips - a diving Warne palmed the ball from second slip to Benham at third - before Darren Gough's middle stump was sent cartwheeling.

A juggled Warne catch at second slip gave Tomlinson the final wicket of Tim Bresnan before Michael Brown and Jimmy Adams saw Hampshire to 25-0.

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