In Driffield Sixth Form our current crop of superb Year 13 students are at the point of their education where they are gearing up for one final push towards the finishing line.

Revision timetables are being drawn up, past exam papers practised and flashcards being made.

It is also the time that students begin to finalise their choices for the future, securing employment or apprenticeships and choosing which universities they will study at (results pending!) This year’s students are particularly exciting as we have an increasing number ready to set out on unique, challenging and thrilling adventures.

They highlight that an education from Driffield really can take you anywhere! Read about just a few of them below:

Jessie Shipley

After spending the last 7 years excelling on the sports field for Driffield School and Sixth Form, Jessie has been offered an amazing scholarship opportunity to study Physical Education in the USA whilst playing football for the “College Team”.

Jessie will be jetting off in August to join Northwest College Wyoming, just 70 miles from Yellowstone National Park. In stunning surroundings Jessie will get to play the sport she loves, whilst gaining a degree and enjoying all that the USA has to offer.

Abbie Ingham

Abbie has secured a prestigious place to study at the University of London Institute of Paris and will be studying French at their Paris campus.

Already fluent in French, Abbie recently attended an applicant day in Paris and is all set to live and study in this exciting capital city from September.

It makes it much more difficult for her mum to help with the washing, but I’m sure that being in the city will more than compensate!

Sophie Walker

Sophie is an outstanding musician who is incredibly highly valued and esteemed by our Performing Arts team and the school and Sixth Form.

Already at diploma on double bass, Grade 8 on piano and for her singing Sophie has been successful in gaining an offer to study performance at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London.

Her outstanding audition piece whilst on interview lead to her being offered reduced entry criteria. Sophie’s ambition is to perform as a musician in the West End providing music for a variety of productions.

Her efforts have certainly set her on the path to making this a reality.

Cameron MacPhee

While Cameron is on track to record three A grades this summer and has a university place lined up to study outdoor education in the future, he has decided to take an outstanding opportunity.

After being put in touch with an internship organisation by the Sixth form Cameron will be spending a year working a ski season in Europe before travelling to New Zealand to receive full training to become a qualified ski and snowboard instructor.

Following this the company will then look to move him to Japan where he can use his training and outstanding communication skills to carve out a career. Driffield Sixth Form really can take you anywhere!

The race to win the Betfred World Championship has been blown wide open after last year’s two finalists crashed out in the opening 24 hours.

First defending champion Stuart Bingham fell foul of the “Crucible Curse” of no first-time winner ever having successfully defended their title.

He was left “gutted” after losing 10-9 on Saturday to fellow Essex cueman Ali Carter.

Then yesterday, last year’s runner-up Shaun Murphy suffered a giant-killing loss to qualifier Anthony McGill. It was a repeat of last year’s quarter-final tie, and the 25-year-old from Scotland gained revenge.

Bingham, 39, said: “I’m obviously gutted, I didn’t really get a clear chance in the last frame. I didn’t feel comfortable all the way through the match; I missed chances and maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

“I made too many errors, in fact I can’t believe I made a match of it. Hats off to Ali, I hope he goes on and wins it.

“I’ll keep the roar I got (in the morning) with me for the rest of my life. I tried to keep a smile on my face when things weren’t going right.”

Bingham started poorly, and was 5-1 and 8-5 down to 36-year-old Carter, who had to win three qualifying rounds just to reach the televised stages.

Pure adrenaline seemed to drag the defending champion to the table, as he scrapped back to lead 9-8.

But Carter held his nerve including in a final-frame decider that lasted 43 minutes – to clinch the last two frames and a second-round meeting with Alan McManus, who beat Stephen Maguire 10-7 yesterday.

“I’m delighted to win,” said Carter, who has battled against serious health issues in recent years, including cancer.

“I fancied winning the decider, I felt as if it was my turn. I’m fitter than anyone here, I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt.

“I don’t feel like it’s taken anything out of me, I’m really enjoying being here. Everything was set up to go wrong for Stuart, the writing was on the wall for him.

“Hopefully I can bring another title back to Essex. This season is a rebuilding season for me, one brick at a time.”

The 32 players who started out on Saturday morning were packed of quality, including all the world champions – nine in total – from this century.

Joining Bingham on making an early exit is 2005 world champion Murphy, who looked in control when he moved 6-4 ahead, following a break of 105.

But McGill – who beat world No 1 Mark Selby and Maguire last year on his run to the last eight – won six of the next eight frames to set up a meeting with Marco Fu, who beat 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon. Murphy believes McGill can go deep into the tournament if he can keep his nerve.

“If he can keep his composure and keep playing with enjoyment, he could take some stopping this week,” said Murphy.

“The strength in depth of snooker is the best it’s ever been – 28 of the world’s top 32 are here, and none of these results are surprises. I felt my game coming here was in better shape than it was last year, but unfortunately I’ve come up against someone who is playing even better than me.”

McGill has an affinity with the Crucible. Since reaching the quarter-finals last year, he has failed to go beyond the last 32 of a ranking tournament.

But he was impressive against Murphy and the Scotsman believes the gap between the world’s top 16 and the chasing pack from the qualifiers is getting smaller.

“Overall, the qualifiers, people like me, are more capable now. The difference between the top players and the qualifiers is very marginal these days, and that’s showed already,” said McGill. “I suppose I could win it. I’ve got a cue in my hand and I’m still in it.”

Five-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan leads Tamworth’s David Gilbert 6-3 when their match resumes this morning.

Ronnie O’Sullivan eased to a first-round win at the Betfred World Championship then walked straight into trouble in Sheffield.

The five-time world champion beat David Gilbert 10-7 but refused to talk to the media or carry out the after-match press conference.

He now faces disciplinary action from World Snooker, which could involve a fine.

Gilbert said it was the “best I have ever played without winning” and he was left to rue several missed chances to cause another Crucible shock, after defending champion Stuart Bingham and 2005 winner Shaun Murphy crashed out on the opening weekend.

O’Sullivan returned with a 6-3 overnight lead in their best-of-19 contest.

Gilbert - enjoying one of his best seasons as a professional - looked calm backstage, and he came out in determined fashion. Breaks of 60 and 62 wrapped up the opening frame.

And it should have been 6-5, but the Tamworth potter missed a red to the centre on a 41 break and O’Sullivan nipped in.

The Essex cueman fired in a 101 break - his first century of the tournament - to move 8-4 ahead, but Gilbert cut the deficit in a scrappy frame to head off to the mid-session interval trailing 8-5.

A 61 clearance from Gilbert made it 8-6, and he had chances in the next frame.

O’Sullivan was left slumped over the table, after missing the brown on a 29 break, but Gilbert could not capitalise.

Missed chances was a theme of the match, and O’Sullivan’s 51 break was enough to punish his opponent, who came through three rounds of qualifiers to reach the Crucible.

Gilbert’s 71 break was one defiant last stand to make it 9-7, but O’Sullivan was not to be denied, his 72 clearance easing him through to the second round.

World Snooker issued a statement regarding O’Sullivan’s non-appearance in front of the media, confirming he will face disciplinary procedures.

It read: “All players have a responsibility to the sport, and in particular to their fans. This includes fulfilling media obligations at events. Any players found to be in breach of these rules will be referred to the disciplinary process.”

Elsewhere, John Higgins looked in top form, leading Ryan Day 7-2. Their match plays to and end on Tuesday.

Those of us who have no preference for our racing code, Flat or Jumps, are in clover at this time of year.

For the final weeks of one season collide head-on with the opening weeks of another. Gone are the days when the Cheltenham Festival wound up the jumping campaign. In fact, it now feels like just the first course, with mouthwatering fare from Aintree, Ayr, Sandown and Punchestown adding to the menu.

But alongside emerge the first skirmishes of the Flat season, with Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting swiftly followed by the Craven meeting at Newmarket, the Greenham meeting at Newbury and a stellar Flat card at Sandown this Friday, which all whet the appetite for the Guineas Festival next week.

For dedicated punters, it all means lots of hard graft. I find that a decision has to made about when to change mindset from Jumps to Flat. My personal cut-off point is when they pass the line in the last on Grand National Day, and this year, that left a tiny gap before an annual sojourn to catch the five days of action at Newmarket and Newbury. Five days that are not so much about backing winners but more an exercise in watching, learning and building a platform of information for the long season ahead.

Sadly, the Greenham meeting was wiped out by the weather for the first time for 50 years. And although the BHA deserves huge credit for re-staging the remnants of Saturday’s card on the all-weather track at Chelmsford, they are unlikely to have much bearing on future big races.

Newmarket’s Rowley Mile grandstand was also rocked by the most spectacular clap of thunder I have ever experienced to herald a biblical storm moments before the Craven Stakes itself last Thursday. But thankfully, it came too late to spoil an enjoyable extension to three days of a meeting that provides an irresistible mix of Group races, maidens and handicaps. Given that it leans heavily towards races for up-and-coming three-year-olds, the meeting is very much designed for the connoisseur. But in unearthing future winners and nuggets of knowledge, it is priceless.

I have compiled this cluster of horses to follow from the three days:

CASTLE HARBOUR

John Gosden-trained 3yo colt who battled suprisingly resolutely to win on debut, even though he was too free early on. He can develop into a Pattern-class miler.

LINGUISTIC

Powerful, well-bred 3yo colt who tasted victory for the first time in a warm renewal of the Tattersalls Millions Trophy. Trainer John Gosden is now considering a crack at the top Derby trial, the Dante Stakes at York’s May meeting.

MAHSOOB

Welcome return to his best by a 5yo that trainer John Gosden has always suspected is Group One class. He is convinced the entire has the speed to drop in trip to 1m for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury next month.

MAGICAL MEMORY

It promises to be a long year for Charlie Hills’s sprinting star, who improved beyond recognition last season. But victory in the Abernant Stakes was an ideal start, even though he only just held on up the hill.

MULK

Sir Michael Stoute’s superbly-bred son of New Approach and Group One-winning filly Nannina took the eye with he travelled, picked up and battled on debut. He is a banker to win good races.

MUTAMAKKIN

Finishing strongly to snatch third in a competitive 7f handicap, Sir Michael Stoute’s expensive 4yo suggested he can soon make up for lost time after injury curtailed the immense promise he showed as a juvenile in 2014.

SWISS RANGE

Another off the John Gosden conveyor-belt, this 3yo middle-distance filly is earmarked for an Oaks trial back at Headquarters over the Guineas weekend after an impressive maiden win, for which she was significantly punted.

SPEED COMPANY

The way this 3yo colt quickened round the field from an uncompromising position to take a warm 10f handicap suggests he could be a Group-class horse to restore the fortunes of brilliant trainer John Quinn after a quiet spell.

SKY KINGDOM

A bright future looks guaranteed for William Haggas’s handsome, well-regarded 3yo son of Montjeu, given the way he bagged what looked an above-average renewal of the Wood Ditton Stakes for unraced horses.

STORMY ANTARCTIC

Emerged from the storm clouds to dismantle the odds-on aspirations of hot favourite Foundation and land the Craven Stakes in sparkling fashion. A classy colt who has improved with every run, he is not to be under-estimated.

THIKRIYAAT

A son of Azamour who is a good example of how Sir Michael Stoute has his team surprisingly forward. He defied greenness to get there cosily close home and will improve again.

VENTURA STORM

With give in the ground, Richard Hannon’s 3yo winner of the Feilden Stakes should not be dismissed in Group races. He beat three smart rivals, despite needing the run.

WINNING STORY

With Saeed Bin Suroor’s string slow to come to hand, it is significant that this nicely-bred middle-distance prospect was able to take a decent maiden first time out.

WINGS OF DESIRE

John Gosden’s favourite bombed in the 10f maiden for 3yos, but he still took the wraps off this half-brother to Eagle Top who ran on nicely and will have learened a lot.

Trainers’ title climax mirrors AP’s farewell day

The best thing about Leicester City’s amazing ascent to the Premier League summit is that it doesn’t fit a marketing protoype. It is spontaneous sport, as it should be, evolving naturally.

Similarly with the race for the Jumps trainers’ championship. After a year of combat and more than £4.5 million of prize money won between them, mere shillings separate the behemoths, Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins. Which means a climactic day at Sandown on Saturday to mirror AP McCoy’s farewell there 12 months ago.

Mullins has the best horses, so even though Nicholls has trained five times more UK winners, he has done remarkably well to stay in the hunt, especially after a dreadful spell in midwinter. Both men are among the finest exponents of their craft racing has ever seen.

On waking up each morning, it is common for many folk to thank their maker for allowing them to enjoy another day.

Me? I am usually too busy looking for car keys, buttering toast and agreeing with John Humphrys to be thankful for anything, but that is slowly beginning to change.

In the coming weeks, my life, if only for a matter of months, will transform forever and I have one person I will have to thank for my change in fortunes.

But rather than getting down on my knees before God, the Queen or even my local friendly bookmaker, the focus of my gratitude is an unlikely one, a man more associated with the self destruction of a major political party. Step forward Nick Clegg. It is nearly 12 months since a crestfallen Clegg trudged out of public view after the former deputy Prime Minister and his fellow Liberal Democrats were given the mother of all kickings at the ballot box.

He was the man who took his band of blue-sky thinking dreamers into the Promised Land of Government and was surprised when it quickly turned sour.

But nowadays I won’t have a bad word said about Clegg because he is the guy who made it possible for me to spend quality time with my infant son, having been the politician who introduced shared parental leave.

At the beginning of May I will be joining a small band of dads who have taken a giant step for trainer wearing mankind by opting to look after their tiny children while mum returns to work earlier than she might have done in the past.

Last week it was reported that a miniscule proportion of working men had taken up Clegg’s offer to spend more time with the family, with some commentators dismissing the policy as a failed gimmick.

Although I am yet to begin my four months at the porridge splattered coalface, I think the criticism is a tad premature and very unfair because most people I talk to about my decision are, at first, surprised before expressing their envy of my opportunity.

Taking the next step of putting a career on hold to spend one’s days speaking in a very silly voice to a very small person is not something which currently occurs to dads, nor is it financially viable for many families, where the man is still the principal wage earner, but that is slowly changing.

I am shamelessly taking advantage of having a wife with a successful career and know that this summer promises to be the best one I have had in years.

I am also confident that in decades to come, men everywhere will raise a pint to Nick Clegg, the patron saint of stay-at-home dads.

IT’S amazing where the time goes when you’re having fun - and a whopping 60 MILLION of us had just that over the past 25 years at three iconic Sheffield venues.

Today we are looking back as silver jubilee celebrations get underway at Sheffield Arena, Ponds Forge International Sports Centre and Hillsborough Leisure Centre, which all opened in 1991.

Their birthday gift back to the steel city is news that they have generated over £500 million between them to the region’s economy.

Now we are after your special memories - details below.

VIDEO: Watch a special video report about 25 years at Ponds Forge - CLICK HERE.

You may have been at the first ever concert at the £34 million Sheffield Arena, which was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on May 30, 1991 ahead of Paul Simon’s Born at the Right Time tour.

Over 16 million of us have since visited the 13,000-seater arena, which has hosted more than 3,000 events.

Many of you may have met there for the first time, fallen in love and returned years later with your own kids, or now grand kids.

Or you may have seen your idols play that stage, including our home grown connections including Arctic Monkeys, Joe Cocker, Pulp, Def Leppard, One Direction, Iron Maiden, Heaven 17, Human League, ABC, Reverend and the Makers and Richard Hawley.

Biggest names to played there reads like a who’s who of all time greats such Oasis, who played their first ever arena gig at the Arena in April 1995, Tina Turner, who played her last ever show there in 2009, Stevie Wonder, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Who, Beach Boys and Michael Buble.

It goes on and on...Prince, Whitney Houston, Take That, Duran Duran, Meat Loaf, Shirley Bassey, Justin Timberlake, Diana Ross, Lady GaGa and Kanye West,just to mention a few.

Then of course it has hosted amazing shows and events from Disney On Ice to Batman Live, Riverdance, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, Cirque du Soleil, Jesus Christ Superstar and who can forget BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009, when our Olympic golden girl Jess Ennis-Hill was honoured.

Global icons Justin Bieber, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli and Bryan Adams are next - they will form part of this year’s celebrations - they will all perform at the Arena this year.

The GB Rio 2016 diving trials, ASA Masters and Summer and Special Olympics GB’s National Summer Games will be hosted at the two sports venues.

Sheffield’s £53 million Olympic-standard Ponds Forge, which remains one of the world’s best aquatics, sport, leisure and events venues, has welcomed more than 25 million people since it was opened by HRH Princess Anne on April 17, 1991.

It has been home to the Roundhouse Nightclub, Last Laugh Comedy Club and Sheffield Sharks basketball team and acts as a training base for GB swimmers and divers.

Following a recent multi-million refurbishment, the Fitness Unlimited gym at Ponds Forge, voted number one in the city by readers of The Star, is now home to a UK-first Technogym spin bike studio and virtual riding system, a Wellness System and MyWellness Cloud equipment and an innovative Prama system, which brings the gym’s floors and walls to life to create an energetic and motivating atmosphere.

SIV has also announced invested in a new Daktronics HD scoreboard for use at Ponds Forge aquatics events.

Also opening its doors that very same day back in 1991 was Hillsborough Leisure Centre, which has been visited by 18 million people and delivered more than 1.2 million swimming lessons.

With over 5,000 Fitness Unlimited members, it is home to one of Sheffield’s most popular gyms offering over 100 fitness classes each week for all ages and abilities.

It runs an award-winning GP Physical Activity Referral Scheme and is Inclusive Fitness Initiative-accredited for disabled users, boasts a free-form leisure pool with an interactive pirate ship, wave machine, slide and flume and is used by community clubs such as local Guides and Scout Clubs and Weight Watchers.

The three venues were built by Sheffield City Council as part of the 1991 World Student Games, which left taxpayers with a bill for millions - but facilities which have produced stars like Olympic golden girl Jess and affirmed Sheffield as a world centre for sporting excellence.

SIV is a subsidiary of Sheffield City Trust and serves as its operational arm - its primary objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of Sheffield people by providing facilities for sport and leisure activities.

Steve Brailey MBE, chief executive of SIV, said: “We are extremely proud to be celebrating 25 years of success for these iconic leisure and entertainment venues. Over the last two and have decades, the much-loved facilities have become part of the fabric of the city - an important part in the lives of millions of people in Sheffield.

“The Arena is one of Sheffield’s biggest stories bringing hundreds of millions of pounds to the city economy. It has been central to the development and regeneration of the Don Valley area.

“Ponds Forge and Hillsborough have made a huge impact on the lives of so many people.

“Thanks to these venues, we are making Sheffield healthier and fitter.”

Sheffield ambassador and former sports minister Richard Caborn was one of the founders of Sheffield City Trust in 1991 and its first chair until 1997.

Richard, who is now chair of the Olympic Legacy Park, said: “SIV should be rightly proud of the success of the Arena, Ponds Forge and Hillsborough and congratulated for the positive impact they’ve had on the city economy and the health of Sheffield people over the last 25 years.

“As a Sheffielder and one of the founders of Sheffield City Trust, I have a real fondness for these venues.” 

Olympic silver medallist Leon Taylor said: “Congratulations to everyone at SIV on reaching this milestone! I trained at Ponds Forge full time with many other members of the British diving team in our preparations for all major championships including the Olympic Games. The facilities are first-class and if you have to train all day everyday there isn’t a better venue.”

What are YOUR memories - email graham.walker@jpress.co.uk, with #StarSIVMemories in the subject field, tweet him @GW1962 using #StarSIVMemories or post to #StarSIVMemories, Graham Walker, Digital Editor, The Star, York Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S11PU.

It’s a fair bet that if you have travelled down a country lane in Yorkshire or indeed the rest of the north of England you will have been behind a gun-metal galvanised steel livestock trailer sporting the name Graham Edwards Trailers at some point.

Graham’s son Matt has run the company based at Moor Lane near Full Sutton for many years and tells of how new technology designed by his dad led to them becoming the UK’s second largest manufacturer of sheep and cattle trailers.

“Dad started the company Graham Edwards Fabrications in 1985. He’d worked on David Dixon’s farm at Sand Hutton as a farm fitter for 26 years and fancied a change. He’d been building trailers in an evening to make extra money and gradually started receiving more orders.

“I joined him following my studies at Bishop Burton College in 1991 and we moved here from Bolton near Wilberfoss in 1994. We’ve always built robust, dependable trailers, but dad also knew we needed something different, something that would give us that USP (unique selling point) and his wind-away deck that enables a regular sheep trailer to carry sheep on two levels was what really put us on the map.”

Graham’s self-designed wind-away deck does exactly what is says on the tin. A handle is used to wind down the upper deck so sheep can then be lifted and other sheep can get in on the lower deck.

“It is still as popular as ever but a couple of years ago we came up with a new deluxe version called the Power Deck. We’ve powered the wind-away deck with two electronic activators that bring the back end of the deck down.

“This makes the ramp a lot longer and means it’s easier to get the sheep on board.”

Finding USPs is all-important for Matt. His main competitor is a massive trailer company with huge production facilities.

Recently, they have also achieved a USP in the cattle trailer sector too.

“When the law changed to enable a Land Rover or other 4x4 to tow trailers up to 8ft 2in wide we came up with a new cattle trailer with wheels at the side rather than in line with the width of the trailer body.

“This brings greater stability on the road and that’s something that farmers prefer. We’re the only ones in the market producing these and because of it we’ve been able to produce a wider cattle trailer body of 6ft 3in rather than 5ft and 5ft 8in.

“This means farmers can get big cows turned around within the trailer and it also adds to the number of cattle that will fit in too. We’re finding that many farmers are now going back to having wheels aside on their trailers.”

The eight-acre site has over the years seen an extension built on to the original Graham Edwards Trailers factory and workshop.

Matt had his family home built next to the factory in 2000 and last year a new workshop and factory building was put up and new kit in the shape of a press brake for folding metal was installed.

“We’ve invested heavily and we currently produce 20 trailers a week, but we don’t just then sit here and wait for the orders to come in.

“We go to all of the local livestock markets such as Skipton, York, Otley, Ruswarp and Selby. We’re at York every week and last week I picked up four orders. We attended LAMMA and picked up five orders all from north of Sheffield even though it was held in Peterborough; and YAMS at York, well that was just the best.

“That was by far the best of the winter shows we’ve done this year.”

Although Graham Edwards Trailers will undertake any amount of bespoke work for their sheep and cattle trailers, they have still resisted going into the leisure market – horse boxes and motorcycle and speedboat trailers – but last year they entered a completely new market producing single axle road sign information trailers that through LED displays powered by solar panels carry messages such as ‘Drive carefully my daddy works here’ and ‘Remember to fill up with fuel’.

“We manufacture a lot of different trailers, not just for livestock, but this big order for what are called mobile visual information systems came in last year – 160 of them for the M1.

“We’d received some smaller orders prior to it but we were flat out last summer meeting our six-week deadline.”

Graham Edwards Trailers now employs a team of 25 and Matt’s dad is still on hand.

WHEN Yorkshire and their supporters pitched up at Headingley yesterday, it is safe to say that they would not have envisaged the day panning out quite as it did.

The Hampshire score stood at 141-5 in reply to Yorkshire’s 593-9 declared, and the only question seemed to be whether Yorkshire would wrap up victory later that day, or be taken into a final day.

Part of cricket’s appeal, however, lies in its capacity to surprise and to throw up all manner of twists and turns.

At stumps, the Hampshire score stood at 450-8, and it was by no means certain that Yorkshire would win the game at all.

Should Hampshire escape with a share of the spoils, it would indeed represent a remarkable turnaround.

To say that Yorkshire bossed the first half of the match is an understatement; Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett, in particular, destroyed the visitors’ bowling with something approaching embarrassing ease.

But one thing that was not destroyed, apparently, was the Hampshire spirit, which was severely lacking earlier in the contest but which suddenly appeared with a vengeance.

Inspired by a rocket from Dale Benkenstein, their coach, Hampshire made the most of good batting conditions and an increasingly benign pitch, frustrating a Yorkshire attack that huffed and puffed but could not quite manage to blow the house down.

James Vince, 76 overnight, went to a fine hundred in front of national selector James Whitaker, who would have admired the character of the innings as much as the class.

A century against Yorkshire is the equivalent, perhaps, of a double century against some counties, and Vince was not alone in experiencing the euphoria.

Sean Ervine, who suffered a suspected broken left index finger when he was struck by a vicious delivery from Plunkett, and who will have an X-ray when he returns to Southampton, battled on to make a valiant 123.

Having added 75 with Vince in 26 overs, Ervine shared in a stand of 143 for the seventh wicket with Adam Wheater, who made 62.

It took Ryan Sidebottom to finally remove Ervine, whose dismissal in the final session to a catch by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow gave Sidebottom his 1,000th wicket in professional cricket.

For the record, the breakdown of those wickets is 709 first-class, 198 List A and 93 T20, another proud milestone for the evergreen pace bowler.

Sidebottom celebrated the landmark in the understated manner of someone whose side had spent a long and difficult day in the dirt, letting out more of a cry of relief than one of satisfaction. At 38, he remains a tireless performer, his figures here 3-78 from 25 overs.

All in all, though, it was a challenging day for Yorkshire, but one in which first-team coach Jason Gillespie was proud of his team.

“I was really pleased with our efforts with the ball and in the field,” said Gillespie.

“The lads put in a real shift, and I’m very proud of the way they went about their work.

“I didn’t think we were brilliant with the ball, but I thought it was a really good, solid performance, and it was just unfortunate that things didn’t quite go our way.

“Fair crack to Hampshire; you have to give them a lot of credit for the way they applied themselves, and there were some good knocks from a number of their batters.”

Vince set the tone for Hampshire’s day when he drove the first ball of the morning to the cover boundary off Jack Brooks.

A sumptuous on-drive followed off the same bowler, and there were no demons in the surface for Yorkshire to exploit.

Vince, compact and commanding, brought up his century from 173 balls with 15 boundaries, and it took a good one from Steve Patterson to send him on his way.

Patterson, bowling from the Kirkstall Lane end, shaped one back in and Vince offered no shot to a ball that struck him just outside off stump and looked as though it might have gone on to clip it.

Ervine and Wheater saw Hampshire through to lunch, Ervine reaching his fifty moments after the break from 97 balls.

Wheater got to the same mark from 123 deliveries as Yorkshire went wicketless in the middle session.

Patterson induced Wheater to chip to mid-wicket in the fourth over after tea, but, following Ervine’s departure, Ryan McLaren and Chris Wood added an unbeaten 59, McLaren reaching 55 from 83 balls.

The visitors saved the follow-on in the penultimate over, making the draw the likeliest result.

Mazars, an international accountancy firm, have agreed a one-year extension as Yorkshire’s principal partner.

There is also the option of an additional year that would take the arrangement into 2018.

Sir Michael Stoute will attempt to maintain his blistering start to the season by sending two runners to Beverley tomorrow afternoon.

The Newmarket handler has his string in especially good form for this time of the year and launches a dual-assault on the seven-race card on the Westwood.

Arab Poet is one of five declared runners for the £11,500 Queen’s Own Yeomanry Handicap (2.50) over seven-and-a-half furlongs, while stablemate Shabbah takes the plunge in the mile-and-a-quarter Tour De Yorkshire Starts Here Next Friday Handicap (3.50).

The former, a son of Poet’s Voice, will be making his handicap debut after having broken his maiden at the fourth attempt with a two-and-a-quarter-length success at Lingfield in October.

Shabaah, a three-year-old Sea The Stars colt takes a big step up in distance after a winless juvenile campaign in 2015.

Ryan Moore rides the two Stoute horses and also gets the leg-up on the James Tate-trained Seafront in the five-furlong Beverley Minster Fillies’ Novice Auction Stakes (1.50).

Bruce Raymond, racing manager for owners Saeed Suhail and Saeed Manana, said of the young daughter of Foxwedge: “She was a bit dozy in the paddock last week, but she came out of that race with plenty of credit.

“We think she could be all right.”

Racing at Beverley - the only domestic flat card of the day - is due to begin at 1.50pm on an afternoon in which the popular Westwood circuit celebrates the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

To honour the occasion, Hull Det. A (Yorkshire) Squadron of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry will be visiting the course for a reinstating of the Yeomanry race which was held many years ago.

The going at Beverley on Tuesday morning was officially described as soft, though a prolonged drying spell has been forecast in the build-up to the second meeting of the season at the award-winning East Yorkshire course.

ANDREW GALE last night warned that Yorkshire cannot keep relying on Jonny Bairstow’s “unbelievable contributions”.

The Yorkshire captain admitted others need to stand up after the champions were held to a draw in their opening match.

Yorkshire missed a chance to start their quest for a hat-trick of titles with a maximum points win after dominating the first half of their game against Hampshire.

After Bairstow’s career-best 246 helped them to 593-9 declared, Yorkshire reduced Hampshire to 128-5 towards the end of day two only for the visitors to reach 453-9 declared, Yorkshire finishing on 183-8 declared in their second innings before hands were shaken.

Last year, Bairstow played a key part in Yorkshire’s title triumph with 1,108 runs at 92. He took that form into England’s winter tour of South Africa, where he topped the averages and hit a maiden Test hundred in Cape Town.

Yorkshire’s top-order batting has been inconsistent for a while, an area they are working to address.

Gale denied it is a concern at this early stage, but did concede that Yorkshire cannot keep looking towards Bairstow.

“There’s going to come a period in the season when you can’t rely on your Jonny Bairstows to keep standing up and making unbelievable contributions,” said Gale.

“The lad’s playing a different game to the rest of us, I think, and he’s just picked up from where he left off in Cape Town and last season.

“It’s not panic stations; it’s the first game of the season. Jack Leaning had a good year last year, I got 1,000 runs, and ‘Lythy’ (Adam Lyth) looks back in the mix and is hitting the ball well.

“What I’m saying is, we won’t be able to rely at 40-3 on Jonny coming in and getting a double hundred.”

Gale said Bairstow’s continued good form is great news for England, with the international season just around the corner.

England start their three-Test series against Sri Lanka at Headingley on May 19.

“Jonny’s got a big summer ahead of him and to start off in the manner that he has done with a double hundred is fantastic for us and brilliant for English cricket as well,” said Gale. “He’s just got consistency in his game.

“He’s worked his game out very quickly over the last 18 months, I’d say, and he’s pretty level when he’s out at the crease.”

Bairstow managed only five yesterday, caught behind off a fine ball from South African pace bowler Ryan McLaren.

Gale top-scored with 46 but felt Yorkshire’s batting was “a bit sloppy” and “a bit soft”, adding that it had been “flagged up” afterwards and that “it won’t happen again”.

Overall, it was the proverbial game of two halves, with Yorkshire magnificent in the first half and mediocre in the second.

Hampshire resumed on 450-8 yesterday having saved the follow-on in the penultimate over of day three.

They added only three more runs before Ryan Sidebottom had Chris Wood caught by Lyth at second slip, ending a stand of 62 with McLaren, who did not add to his overnight 55.

Hampshire then declared as last man Fidel Edwards was unable to bat after injuring his right ankle in the warm-ups.

There are fears that the former West Indies international could be out for two months, and Hampshire also lost Liam Dawson, Sean Ervine and Wood to injury at various stages of this game, although Wood had recovered sufficiently from a knee complaint to feature yesterday.

Despite the drain on Hampshire’s resources, with coach Dale Benkenstein and video analyst Joe Maiden called on as substitute fielders, Yorkshire slipped to 43-4 inside 18 overs.

Alex Lees went lbw to James Tomlinson, who then had Gary Ballance caught at short cover.

Lyth wafted at a wide one and was caught behind off McLaren, who followed up with the wicket of Bairstow.

Gale and Leaning steadied things with a stand of 73 in 27 overs before Gale got a good one from Wood and was caught behind, Leaning following when he misjudged a drive off spinner Will Smith.

Adil Rashid was caught in the slips off Tomlinson, who then held Steve Patterson at mid-on off James Vince.

Liam Plunkett followed his first innings century with an unbeaten 27, Jack Brooks finishing unbeaten on 15.

Ding Junhui held his nerve to clinch a thrilling first-round win at the Betfred World Championship last night.

The former world No 1 had been forced to endure three qualifying rounds just to walk out at the Crucible – after dropping out of the top 16 players – and let a 4-1 lead slip to trail Martin Gould 8-6.

But Sheffield-based Ding – who has lived in the Steel City since he was a teenager – reeled off four successive frames to win 10-8 and secure a second-round match with either Judd Trump or Liang Wenbo.

World No 12 Gould – a former casino croupier – had enjoyed the best season of his career, winning his first ranking title at the German Masters.

But 29-year-old Ding – whose best performance in his adopted hometown was a semi-final spot in 2011 – came into the tournament in fine form, losing just seven frames in his three qualifying round matches. And he raced into a 4-1 lead after breaks of 90, 110, 49, 54 and 87.

Having never got beyond the second round in Sheffield in six previous visits, Gould needed to keep in touch and a 64 break pulled a frame back to make it 4-2.

The 34-year-old came out on top in a scrappy seventh frame, to cut the deficit to 4-3. The pair then traded punches, Gould’s swashbuckling clearance of 111 the perfect riposte to Ding’s 87.

When the match resumed last night, it was Gould who edged a drawn-out opening frame to level the match at 5-5. Breaks of 53 were enough for the pair to share the next two frames, before a 96 clearance put Gould ahead for the first time, at 7-6. And it was 8-6 when Gould pinched the next frame, despite needing three snookers at one point.

Ding was wobbling and needed a response, cracking in 132, 86 and 100 to edge in front 9-8, before keeping his nerve in the final frame to get over the winning line.

Former UK champion Trump is in danger of joining the exodus of top-five seeds at the first hurdle in Sheffield.

With defending champion Stuart Bingham, plus former winners Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson already out, only Mark Selby of the top five players have qualified for the second round so far.

Fifth seed Trump trails China’s Liang Wenbo 6-3 when their match resumes on Thursday. But there were first-round wins for Mark Allen, after a 10-3 win over qualifier Mitchell Mann, and Barry Hawkins, who beat Zhang Anda 10-5.

Kilham racer James Cowton saw a limited amount of action on a tragic weekend at the Oliver’s Mount circuit in Scarborough.

The Spring Cup meeting was abandoned after Isle of Man rider Billy Redmayne was badly hurt in the flagship race.

He was airlifted to hospital but died on Tuesday morning.

Cowton, who is representing the Racing By Radcliffe’s team this season, was only involved in one race, but rode extremely well in the junior race aboard the Honda 600, starting from 14th on the grid.

By the end of the first lap, he was up to ninth place and at the midway stage, he was on the back of four riders challenging for fifth place.

On the final lap, he produced his quickest lap of the race to take fifth place at the chequered flag, to give him plenty of positives to take to his next meeting at Cookstown in two weeks’ time.

Those of us who have no preference for our racing code, Flat or Jumps, are in clover at this time of year.

For the final weeks of one season collide head-on with the opening weeks of another. Gone are the days when the Cheltenham Festival wound up the jumping campaign. In fact, it now feels like just the first course, with mouthwatering fare from Aintree, Ayr, Sandown and Punchestown adding to the menu.

But alongside emerge the first skirmishes of the Flat season, with Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting swiftly followed by the Craven meeting at Newmarket, the Greenham meeting at Newbury and a stellar Flat card at Sandown this Friday, which all whet the appetite for the Guineas Festival next week.

For dedicated punters, it all means lots of hard graft. I find that a decision has to made about when to change mindset from Jumps to Flat. My personal cut-off point is when they pass the line in the last on Grand National Day, and this year, that left a tiny gap before an annual sojourn to catch the five days of action at Newmarket and Newbury. Five days that are not so much about backing winners but more an exercise in watching, learning and building a platform of information for the long season ahead.

Sadly, the Greenham meeting was wiped out by the weather for the first time for 50 years. And although the BHA deserves huge credit for re-staging the remnants of Saturday’s card on the all-weather track at Chelmsford, they are unlikely to have much bearing on future big races.

Newmarket’s Rowley Mile grandstand was also rocked by the most spectacular clap of thunder I have ever experienced to herald a biblical storm moments before the Craven Stakes itself last Thursday. But thankfully, it came too late to spoil an enjoyable extension to three days of a meeting that provides an irresistible mix of Group races, maidens and handicaps. Given that it leans heavily towards races for up-and-coming three-year-olds, the meeting is very much designed for the connoisseur. But in unearthing future winners and nuggets of knowledge, it is priceless.

I have compiled this cluster of horses to follow from the three days:

CASTLE HARBOUR

John Gosden-trained 3yo colt who battled suprisingly resolutely to win on debut, even though he was too free early on. He can develop into a Pattern-class miler.

LINGUISTIC

Powerful, well-bred 3yo colt who tasted victory for the first time in a warm renewal of the Tattersalls Millions Trophy. Trainer John Gosden is now considering a crack at the top Derby trial, the Dante Stakes at York’s May meeting.

MAHSOOB

Welcome return to his best by a 5yo that trainer John Gosden has always suspected is Group One class. He is convinced the entire has the speed to drop in trip to 1m for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury next month.

MAGICAL MEMORY

It promises to be a long year for Charlie Hills’s sprinting star, who improved beyond recognition last season. But victory in the Abernant Stakes was an ideal start, even though he only just held on up the hill.

MULK

Sir Michael Stoute’s superbly-bred son of New Approach and Group One-winning filly Nannina took the eye with the way he travelled, picked up and battled on debut. He is a banker to win good races.

MUTAMAKKIN

Finishing strongly to snatch third in a competitive 7f handicap, Sir Michael Stoute’s expensive 4yo suggested he can soon make up for lost time after injury curtailed the immense promise he showed as a juvenile in 2014.

SWISS RANGE

Another off the John Gosden conveyor-belt, this 3yo middle-distance filly is earmarked for an Oaks trial back at Headquarters over the Guineas weekend after an impressive maiden win, for which she was significantly punted.

SPEED COMPANY

The way this 3yo colt quickened round the field from an uncompromising position to take a warm 10f handicap suggests he could be a Group-class horse to restore the fortunes of brilliant trainer John Quinn after a quiet spell.

SKY KINGDOM

A bright future looks guaranteed for William Haggas’s handsome, well-regarded 3yo son of Montjeu, given the way he bagged what looked an above-average renewal of the Wood Ditton Stakes for unraced horses.

STORMY ANTARCTIC

Emerged from the storm clouds to dismantle the odds-on aspirations of hot favourite Foundation and land the Craven Stakes in sparkling fashion. A classy colt who has improved with every run, he is not to be under-estimated.

THIKRIYAAT

A son of Azamour who is a good example of how Sir Michael Stoute has his team surprisingly forward. He defied greenness to get there cosily close home and will improve again.

VENTURA STORM

With give in the ground, Richard Hannon’s 3yo winner of the Feilden Stakes should not be dismissed in Group races. He beat three smart rivals, despite needing the run.

WINNING STORY

With Saeed Bin Suroor’s string slow to come to hand, it is significant that this nicely-bred middle-distance prospect was able to take a decent maiden first time out.

WINGS OF DESIRE

John Gosden’s favourite bombed in the 10f maiden for 3yos, but he still took the wraps off this half-brother to Eagle Top who ran on nicely and will have learned a lot.

Trainers’ title climax mirrors AP’s farewell day

The best thing about Leicester City’s amazing ascent to the Premier League summit is that it doesn’t fit a marketing protoype. It is spontaneous sport, as it should be, evolving naturally.

Similarly with the race for the Jumps trainers’ championship. After a year of combat and more than £4.5 million of prize money won between them, mere shillings separate the behemoths, Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins. Which means a climactic day at Sandown on Saturday to mirror AP McCoy’s farewell there 12 months ago.

Mullins has the best horses, so even though Nicholls has trained five times more UK winners, he has done remarkably well to stay in the hunt, especially after a dreadful spell in midwinter. Both men are among the finest exponents of their craft racing has ever seen.

Racing pundit Tony McCormick from.irishbigracetrends.com takes a swipe at a crumbling show, destined for the dustbin of TV history.

I must say at this point, anyone who reads this column regularly, will know that I don’t sport my ‘I Love The Morning Line’ badge very often, but knowing that Gordon Elliott doesn’t suffer fools, I thought last Saturday’s show could be fun. How wrong I was.

Thanks to Channel 4+1, I was just in time to catch Rishi Persad introducing his guests, bookie Geoff Banks, ex-jockey Mick ‘that’s what racing is all about’ Fitzgerald and Elliott.

The breaking news that morning was that the main ‘flat’ meeting of the weekend at Newbury was being successfully transferred to the all-weather track at Chelmsford City. To my horror, and no doubt, Elliott’s, Persad, started the show by asking him: “What do you think about the move from Newbury to Chelmsford?’.

Asking a man steeped in the national hunt game, deep in the bowels of Ireland, with the occasional visit to these shores to plunder the prize money at some of the various jumps festivals during the season, was quite a showstopper. He might have well asked the bemused Elliott his thoughts on William and Kate being photographed on the same bench as Diana, outside of the Taj Mahal.

Not 90 seconds in to the show, Elliott was thinking, this may have not being such a good idea after all.

I do like, and have a lot of time for Banks, he says it like it is, which ruffles a few, but his statements are always backed up by the bare facts.

Banks, though, couldn’t resist the obvious question to Elliott: ‘Would Don Cossack have beaten Cue Card if the latter had ‘stood up’ in this season’s Gold Cup?”

“What do you think?” came the terse reply.

Meanwhile Persad, moved on quickly to the week’s racing news, which, even by my limited maths expertise, totalled two items. Enter the ever-entertaining Fitzgerald, who, when prompted to comment on the retiring Wishful Thinking, mused: “Legend is a term over-used in racing for a horse, but this fella has been an absolute star.” So the horse isn’t a legend then, Mick?

The other piece of big racing news this week was a bloke who has been ‘Walking The Courses’ for charity.

Outside now to Tanya, who is interviewing racing’s great and good, mainly a groundsman or a bookies rep who still spikes his hair at 48. Tanya is to slick interviewing what Jon Moss is to good refereeing decisions. She must have been adoring our screens for over 20 years, but still hasn’t quite mastered a smooth TV style.

I have to admit, I would never make a TV reviewer, as I bailed out of the Morning Line after 31 minutes. Who knows what gems lay in store in the remaining 29?

Like Slaven Bilic’s hair, the Morning Line means well, but is wearing thin, in its final stages and, in eight months’ time, will be no more.

Norman Harris has blown the final whistle on his time as secretary of the Driffield and District League - but he won’t be bowing out of local football altogether.

He announced at the weekend that he would be stepping down, but says he is happy to help his successor through their first year in the role.

Harris said: “I have been on the league committee for nearly 30 years and done various jobs, such as cup secretary and registartion secretary.

“Then five years ago, I became secretary after the death of John Burchett, otherwise the league could have folded.

“But I am 70 this year and this feels the right time to call it a day. It has been a hard decision, but I have spoken to my family and it seems the right thing to do.”

Despite stepping down from the top job, Harris will stay on the league committee and guide the new secretary through the trials and tribulations of the job.

“I will stay around to help anybody out in any way I can,” he said.

“We have had someone who has expressed an interest in taking over but it would be good to hear from other people who want to help.

“It is a job for two or three people, really. The league doesn’t run itself.

“I really don’t know how many hours a week I spend working as secretary. There is something every day.

“One minute you are trying to rearrange a midweek game from a Wednesday night to a Tuesday, the next you get a call from a team who can’t raise a team for Saturday.

“It’s an ongoing saga.”

The league dipped to 16 teams this season and it is not known how many clubs will be involved next season, but Harris is convinced it will survive, if the right people come forward.

“I have enjoyed it, getting out there and meeting people from the clubs,” he said.

“It’s a difficult job, but I thank all the club officials from down the years.”

Possessing a voice to die for, and having performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, Jamaican-born singer Ruby Turner regularly plays to sell-out crowds around the world. In spite of her hectic schedule, she was kind enough to spare a few minutes to chat with “Pulse” author Steve Rudd about her latest album…

Q. Hi Ruby, how are things, and how has 2016 treated you so far?

A. It’s been a quiet start to the year, but I’m not complaining, as the end of last year was pretty full on… yet wonderful with it.

Q. Following a couple of dates with long-time collaborator Jools Holland, you’re set to embark on a UK tour with your own band. What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming tour?

A. It’s always great to do my own gigs with my band. Performing at new venues is always exciting, and it allows me to play to fans old and new.

Q. So did you and Jools hit it off straight away back when you met for the first time?

A. We’re kindred spirits, and our sole aim is make great music, so yes!

Q. Given the huge amount of touring that you do, how on earth do you manage to stave off exhaustion?

Do you have any special sleep routines, or foods that you eat, which help to maintain your energy levels whilst on the road?

A. Like anyone else in any other job, I make sure that I take care of my wellbeing as much as I can.

Q. So tell us about your new album! What made you call it “All That I Am,” and which are your favourite tracks on the record?

A. I think the title speaks for itself. I love music of all genres.

The songs took a few years to write and record, so I guess it’s hard to have a favourite.

Having said that, I think “Mighty Hard Time” is a great song. I also love “Putting You First” and “The Dark End of the Street.”

Q. How much encouragement did you receive as a child in regards to your singing?

A. Believe it or not, none whatsoever.

It was in my teenage years when I started to show real potential, and that’s when others started to encourage me.

Q. What event in your career so far would you describe as being your “biggest break”?

A. It’s been an amazing journey, my career. So many different things and opportunities have presented themselves, so it’s hard to name just one.

Q. You moved to England from Jamaica when you were nine, but what – if anything – do you recall of your childhood in Montego Bay? Were you exposed to much music there?

A. Jamaica is music!

Q. How did you adapt to life in England? It must have been a colossal culture shock for you…

A. It was indeed a shock, but children adapt, and I think I adapted really well.

Q. Are you hoping to do any more TV or stage-work in the near future?

A. One is always hopeful, and I’ve always enjoyed both forms of media.

However, it can be tough juggling different careers and roles in this business.

Q. Finally, how can people find out more about you and your music?

A. I think there’s so much to thank social media for, and this, I think, answers your question! Twitter, Facebook and my official website at www.rubyturner.com will keep people up-to-date with everything that’s going on tour-wise.

l Copies of Steve’s first book, “Pulse,” can be ordered for £10 by sending a cheque (made payable to Mr. S. Rudd) to 110 The Mount, Driffield, YO25 5JN. Visit www.steverudd.co.uk or www.valleypressuk.com/authors/steverudd for more information

THE numbers speak for themselves… 102, 59, 50, 66, 125*, 0, 15, 219*, 108, 23, 139, 74*, 91, 1, 36, 246, 5.

Those are Jonny Bairstow’s County Championship scores since the start of last season, an extraordinary sequence that shows no sign of ending.

It all adds up to 1,359 runs in 10 games at an average of 97.07.

It also emphasises the impact that Bairstow has had on Yorkshire’s recent success.

Normally, a purple patch lasts for a few days, weeks, or perhaps a few months.

It does not usually extend for almost a year. But since that first score of 102 against Hampshire at Headingley last May, Bairstow has been in unstoppable form.

It is not simply the volume of runs, but the context in which he has scored them that has been so impressive, with several of those innings helping Yorkshire from positions of adversity and proving to be of match-winning significance.

Since returning to Yorkshire from England’s tour of the West Indies last Spring, Bairstow has taken his game to another level.

He did not play in that three-Test series in the Caribbean, where he spent much of his time carrying drinks, and he returned to Yorkshire with something to prove.

To say that he has done so is an understatement.

It would have been easy in the circumstances for a player to mope about feeling sorry for himself, but Bairstow has shown his character as well as his class.

Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire first-team coach, always tells his players that they are their own best selector, a mantra that Bairstow has illustrated perfectly.

Encouraged by Gillespie and Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon to go out and play his natural game, Bairstow simply made it impossible for England to leave him out, achieving a level of consistency managed by few.

Recalled for the third Test against Australia at Edgbaston last July, his first Test appearance for over 18 months, Bairstow seized his chance and scored 74 in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, where his stand of 173 for the fourth-wicket with fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root helped England to an innings win that clinched the Ashes.

After England’s difficult series against Pakistan in the UAE last autumn, Bairstow topped the averages in the four-Test series against South Africa, where he hit his maiden Test hundred – 150 not out in Cape Town.

Bairstow’s performances in South Africa were even more impressive considering the criticism he had taken prior to the series.

The likes of former England captain Bob Willis, for example, had rubbished his capacity to deliver with the bat at the highest level, an attitude that itself has been made to look rubbish.

Bairstow’s wicketkeeping, as he readily admits, is a work in progress, but, again, some of the criticism he has suffered has been over the top.

Matt Prior, it should be remembered, was not without blemish at the start of his Test career, and yet he put that behind him to thrive with the gloves.

As proved once again by his double-century against Hampshire last week, the 26-year-old Bairstow is in the form of his life.

The numbers really do speak for themselves, a testament to one of the game’s greatest entertainers.

The Crucible in Sheffield is no stranger to drama but killing off your leading men in the opening scene is something odd even for this famous old theatre.

World champion Stuart Bingham exited stage left on the opening day of the Betfred World Championship, and was quickly followed by supporting cast members Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson.

Three of the top four seeds gone and they would be joined by fellow top 16 players Joe Perry, Martin Gould, Michael White and Stephen Maguire who fell at the first hurdle in the opening week.

Arguments rattle around the Crucible regulars as to why seven out of the top 16 players have been written out so early.

Many believe it’s down to a qualifying system which means anyone not in the top 16 has to go through three rounds of matches just to reach the Crucible.

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn calls it a “brutally open system”, as players like Ding Junhui and Ali Carter battled it out with part-timers at the nearby Ponds Forge sports centre.

The qualifiers – match-hardened after a week of hard graft – had definitely not read the script.

That’s music to the ears of Hearn, who wanted to shatter the image of a closed-shop for the game’s top stars.

He wants to create a culture where young, ambitious players, hungry for success, have a path to success.

“We are aware of our responsibilities to all professional snooker players to give them the opportunity to show their talent,” said Hearn.

“It is not and never will be a sponsored boy’s club.

“It’s tough and we have seen in this tournament already how tough the competition is so far.

“Players coming from the qualifying rounds have emerged through a brutal test and I find it fascinating to listen to the arguments of both sides as to the fairness of that.

“It is a brutally open system where the best shall survive.”

Hearn’s determination to grow the sport continues, and he has plans for 18 ranking tournaments for next year, and 20 the season after.

And with prize money levels reaching £10m for next season, the financial incentives are there too.

“We will have 18 ranking events and that is scheduled to grow to a minimum of 20,” he said.

“And for the first time in the history of snooker we will hit our prize money target of £10m, which again over the next few years is set to grow dramatically.

“The opportunities for sports people at the top end are growing.

“We are obviously a sport that has led from the front. The winners’ rewards are growing dramatically because that is how sport is working.”

Kyren Wilson became the last qualifier to scrape through on Thursday evening, when he edged out Perry 10-9 in a thrilling contest.

The 24-year-old from Kettering – who won the Shanghai Masters for his first ranking tournament trophy this year – has an exciting style of play, and already has a big fan in five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

He tweeted: “Keiren Wilson is going to be the best player in the world one day.”

Wilson now faces Mark Allen on Sunday with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.

Wilson said: “I want to make memories at the Crucible and you’re only going to do that by winning matches. To tick the first one off the list is absolutely fantastic and it’s certainly just behind Shanghai.

“I come to tournaments now believing I can win, but you can’t get too far ahead of yourself.

“I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself but it’d be the icing on the cake to lift the world title.”

Last year’s champion, Bingham, is one of the victims of the new system.

The 39-year-old came out of the chasing pack to stun the sporting world 12 months ago when he beat Shaun Murphy in the final.

But he was pipped at the first hurdle by qualifier Carter last weekend.

Former finalist Carter was back in action on Friday against another qualifier, Alan McManus, in their second-round meeting. The Essex cueman leads 9-7, returns Saturday morning for the completion of their best-of-25 frames contest.

Also back Saturday is qualifier Sam Baird, who finished with a break of 85 to peg back World No 1 Mark Selby at 4-4.

But it was a match too far for qualifier Anthony McGill who could not prevent Marco Fu – the 14th seed – becoming the first player to secure a quarter-final berth with a 13-9 win.

McGill, who had knocked out 2005 world champion Murphy in the first round and reached the quarter-finals last year, began Friday evening trailing 9-7. But an impressive 97 break cut the deficit to one and he looked set to level the match, only to snooker himself behind the pink with just a solitary red left on the table.

It was an error which proved costly, as Fu reeled off the four frames for victory. It is only the third time in 16 Crucible visits that the Hong Kong cueman has reached the quarter-final stage.

Former champion Mark Williams leads Michael Holt 10-6.

England duo Joe Root and Ben Stokes discussed a variety of pressing issues for the forthcoming season in Friday's Investec round-table chat with the national press. Here are some of the topics covered:

Sheffield's Joe Root, On the possibility of moving up to number three in this summer's Tests: "I feel pretty settled at four. But if they want to change things, I'm sure we'll have a discussion about it."

Durham star Ben Stokes, On the same topic: "I would personally like to see him stay at four. He's been so successful, and it's a brilliant place for him to be batting.

"It means he's closer to where I bat ... and I enjoy batting with him! Stay four, mate."

Root, On England's hopes of reclaiming the International Cricket Council's number one Test ranking: "That's obviously a main goal of ours. But you can look miles ahead, and (then) fall miles short."

Root, On the England and Wales Cricket Board's new safety regulations for helmets: "Rules are rules.

"You can sort of see that, if it's impeding the vision, you almost feel just as unsafe.

"But these are the laws put in place, and if you want to play you're going to have to get used to it very quickly."

Stokes, On the prospect of a new points system across all formats to decide the winner of bilateral series: "Rubbish."

JONNY BAIRSTOW has just picked up from where he left off in Cape Town with England and at the back end of last season with Yorkshire – getting a double hundred in this week’s County Championship opener with Hampshire at Headingley.

He is in exceptional form and that knock was something different. He just looks like he is playing a different game to the rest of us. It could only be good for us while he is around, but fantastic for England as well if he hits those Test matches in the form that he is in now.

He has matured a lot as a player over the last few years and knows his game inside out now. He works hard in the nets; he’s always had the talent, but now he knows how to make big scores and over the past few years, he has got that selfishness and grittiness to make match-winning contributions like double-hundreds.

Adam Lyth and Liam Plunkett also got centuries, which was good.

At the back end of last season, Lythy wasn’t himself and was struggling a bit and needed some time away and that is what he has done, although he still has ambitions to play for England again.

No-one has really secured that opening spot for England and if Lythy can just cash in early season with sheer weight on runs, who knows what can happen..

Liam is a guy in good spirits at the moment. He wasn’t expected to go to the (T20) World Cup and got a late call-up and played most of the tournament. He’s on cloud nine at the minute and playing some good, positive cricket.

Overall, given the first two days of our four-dayer with Hampshire, we were probably disappointed not to get over the line with a win after being in such a commanding position.

But we probably were not quite at our best on days three and four with our bowling. We bowled pretty well, but didn’t bowl exceptionally. On a pitch that was really flat, we needed to bowl really, really well to take wickets and we were a bit sloppy and slack on the last day with our batting too.

It was a reminder that you can’t afford to do that in the first division because it is such a powerful division,

As for the pitch, it wasn’t ‘flat, flat’. It was still a good pitch and overhead conditions played a big part and in the first two days it was cloudy and overcast and in the last two days, the sun was out and the pitch flattened.

It was still a pretty decent pitch and you had to work hard to get in and when you got in, you could really cash in. Credit goes to Hampshire for digging in.

Personally, I was happy with my knock of 46 in the second innings, especially coming in at a time when we were under a little bit of pressure and me and Jack Leaning just took the sting out of it because it could have been a very tricky position if we’d lost a couple more wickets on top of that. We could have been hanging on for a draw really.

So I was pleased with my contribution after being a little bit unlucky to get out in the first innings and I felt like I spent some valuable time at the crease. We now start a four-dayer at Warwickshire tomorrow and we know that everyone is going to raise their game against us now and that showed against Hampshire.

Warwickshire are tough opponents and have got some high-quality players and they were tipped at the start of the season to be right up there.

Maybe what happened on the last day against Hampshire was the kick up the backside we needed and hopefully we can now go into the Warwickshire game and play some consistent cricket over the four days.

Ian Bell is now back in the Warwickshire ranks and he’s a world-class performer, no doubt about that. He got heavy runs against us for the MCC in the UAE and looked in good form and we are going to have to get him out early because if he gets in, he’s got that selfishness and hunger for runs to make a big, big score.

Away from the first team, I am also busy with my benefit year at Yorkshire and it is all going well to date.

Most of the events are pretty much sold out and we have got a gala dinner in June and a cycle ride which starts and finishes at Ilkley at the back end of September.

There’s plenty of events in the diary and it is a weight off my mind going into the season that everything is really done and organised, so I can just concentrate on my cricket.

I am backing three fantastic charities as well, with Yorkshire Children’s Trust being the main one. So it will good to get some money and exposure for them.

Due to weather delays, the local league cricket season starts for most today and the leagues in Yorkshire have really been revolutionised with four ECB leagues now across the county.

It will be exciting for everyone and teams are playing for a place in the UAE and I am sure there’s a lot of excitement and anticipation around the start of the season. There’s been some good weather over the few days, so hopefully they can get some cricket in.