JASON Gillespie described Yorkshire’s day one batting performance at Hampshire as “a mixed bag” and has urged his top order to take responsibility.

Yorkshire closed yesterday’s opening day, cut short by 10 overs due to bad light, on 275-9 in bowler-friendly conditions.

There were half-centuries for Tim Bresnan and a first in the Specsavers County Championship for Australian left-hander Jake Lehmann in the type of batting performance which has been seen so often this year.

Nobody was able to go on as Hampshire’s medium pacer Gareth Berg returned his first five-wicket haul for nearly five years.

Each of Yorkshire’s top seven reached double figures, with only Lehmann’s 58 and Bresnan’s 56 bettering 26 from Andrew Gale.

And it took a last-wicket stand of 41 unbroken between Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom to claim a second batting bonus point for passing 250.

After Yorkshire won the toss, Hampshire will be marginally the happier side.

But coach Gillespie is spot on when he said “we’re massively in the game”.

"To get to 275 after losing a few wickets in clumps is a pretty decent effort,” said the Australian.

"Ideally we'd have had a significant partnership. One of the lads who scored 50 could have gone on and got a big score. But we'll certainly take that.

“There was a really good catch by Will Smith to get rid of Lythy, and there were a couple of indifferent shots if we're honest. But that can happen.

“There were also a couple of cracking deliveries. It's been a mixed bag.

"The feedback we've got is that there's a little bit there for the bowlers if you bowl a good line and length. If we can add to what we've got and bowl our lines and lengths, we should make it tough.

"As in the last couple of fixtures we've had, runs down the order could be vital.

“But it is a disappointing where you're in a position where your middle and lower order are bailing you out. It's happening a little bit too much for our liking, and it's something we need to be better at.

"We're too good a batting order to be in those sorts of positions. We need to be better.”

After electing to bat, Yorkshire only had two partnerships above 50.

Gale and Lehmann shared 62 for the fourth wicket either side of lunch to recover from 57-3.

Adam Lyth and Alex Lees fell caught at point before Gary Ballance, dropped twice at third slip by James Vince, fell caught behind for 10 off Berg, who went on to take 5-54 from 23 overs.

Then, after Gale edged Ryan McLaren behind after lunch and Lehmann edged Berg to second slip, Bresnan and Andrew Hodd added 73 for the sixth wicket to advance from 143-5.

They took the champions beyond 200 and to a position of reasonable health.

But they were two of three wickets to fall in eight balls to Berg, both bowled, as the score slipped from 216-5 to 224-8.

That later became 234-9 before Brooks, who has 29 not out, and Sidebottom intervened.

While Hampshire are just about ahead of the game, it would be no surprise to see Yorkshire make this a winning score as they did with 282 against Notts at Scarborough last week.