Andrew Gale has refused to rule out the possibility of attempting to set up a result during tomorrow’s final day against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

The Yorkshire captain was approached by opposite number Dominic Cork during today’s dull and rain-affected day three, in which the visitors failed to take a single wicket in half a day’s play.

Hampshire pair Michael Carberry, who batted positively for 140 not out, and Neil McKenzie, who will resume tomorrow on 95, amassed an unbroken 232 for the third wicket inside 66 overs after coming together late on day two.

The hosts closed on 291-2 from 81 overs, and will head into day four 241 runs in arrears.

It means that a result via conventional means is virtually impossible, especially as the pitch is as flat as they come.

And Gale said: “I’ll have to have a think about it. From our point of view, we don’t want to give them a sniff. They’re going to have to force the issue.

“They’re 40-odd points behind us, so it’s got to be on our terms.

“The last thing we want is them getting a win, getting confidence and going on a run.”

The ECB should shoulder a portion of the blame for the dull nature of this contest.

They deducted Hampshire eight points for producing a poor pitch for their last home game against Nott-inghamshire, which turned from day one and was not dangerous.

It made groundsman Nigel Gray more cautious in his approach to preparing this track and it has ended up being flatter than the M62.

“There’s just nothing in it,” sighed Gale. “There’s no bounce, no pace and no spin. When it does spin, it’s slow”.

Even so, Yorkshire, in particular Adil Rashid and David Wainwright, could have bowled better.

There were only two lbw shouts of any note and they bowled too many bad balls, even though not one of their eight-man attack went at a rate more than four runs per over.

Gale, meanwhile, praised England Lions colleague Carberry for scoring his first century since returning from a life-threatening blood clot on the lung.