Times have changed since Cardus's day.

The batting paradise of yore has been replaced by the very definition of the bowler's nirvana. Even Cardus might have fancied a trundle on this pitch.

This match has been typical of the new Trent Bridge, a stadium where the erection of three new stands in quick succession has changed the atmosphere in favour of swing bowlers.

Twenty-two wickets have fallen on the first two days and only three batsmen have managed to record a half-century.

Trent Bridge circa 2008 is more a lonely land for batsmen – a place where run-scoring is often a hazardous exercise and where the total is more often in the region of 100 for five wickets.

Only two of 17 County Championship scores this year have exceeded 280 at a venue that appears to have scant regard for ponderous draws.

After Nottinghamshire mustered just 213 on the opening day, Yorkshire staggering to 72-5 by stumps, the visitors hoisted their total to 161 yesterday before losing their final wicket to the second ball after lunch.

Nottinghamshire followed up with 146-2 to go into day three with a lead of 198 – a substantial advantage under any circumstances and a potentially decisive one in this bowler-friendly environment.

Yorkshire's predicament would have been more inauspicious but for a spirited last-wicket partnership of 46 between Tim Bresnan and Deon Kruis.

Batting at No 9 after Matthew Hoggard performed the role of night-watchman, Bresnan top-scored with 32 before he was last out, lbw to Mark Ealham, to give the former England all-rounder his 600th first-class wicket.

It was another disciplined effort by the maturing Bresnan who, somewhat mystifyingly, remains one place lower in the order than Adil Rashid.

Whereas Rashid has fashioned only 222 Championship runs this year at 15.85, Bresnan has totalled 349 at 34.90; only Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale of the Yorkshire line-up on view have a superior average to Bresnan in this summer's Championship.

The morning session unfolded beneath overcast skies which seemed tailor-made for the Nottinghamshire seamers.

Hoggard was caught at third slip in the fourth over, Rashid lbw in the ninth and Yorkshire were well and truly in the cart when Gerard Brophy went leg-before to leave them teetering on 95-8.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, so useful as a pinch-hitter in the one-day arena, appeared to decide a similar policy was worth pursuing as he crashed two sumptuous off-side fours and then a cover-driven six off Charlie Shreck.

But after flaying 18 from 13 balls, Rana had his leg-stump uprooted by the persevering Shreck, who exploited conditions superbly on his way to
5-58.

On this evidence, Shreck, a
6ft 7ins Cornishman is a superior bowler to his county team-mate and England debutant Darren Pattinson, although the latter is enjoying a happier year statistically.

Considering Nottinghamshire are strong contenders for the Championship, they do not exactly possess a batting order to strike fear into opponents.

The team have managed only three centuries this year in first-class cricket – the highest being Chris Read's 142 against Yorkshire at Headingley Carnegie in May; Rudolph, by way of contrast, has struck four hundreds off his own bat.

Nottinghamshire's second innings began in typically discouraging fashion when Matthew Wood was lbw to Hoggard with the total on 22, before Bilal Shafayat and Mark Wagh took control as grey skies gave way to sapphire blue.

Curiously, given the high-octane drama that had gone before, it suddenly became difficult to see where a wicket was coming from as Shafayat and Wagh coped comfortably with the bowling, defending stoically and accumulating sensibly.

At tea, Nottinghamshire were 72-1 and their lead had soared to 124. Shafayat went on to a half-century from 125 deliveries; then the second-wicket stand crept above 100.

Just when it seemed neither batsman would be removed, Shafayat fell in bizarre circumstances when he aimed a fierce straight drive at Hoggard operating from the Radcliffe Road end which struck the bowler on the right hand and looped up to Rana at mid-on, who accepted a tumbling catch.

Had Hoggard managed to cling on himself it would have been an outstanding take; as it was, his delight at Shafayat's departure was tempered by the stinging effects of a painful blow.

Wagh reached his half-century as the shadows lengthened on a day when Yorkshire left a much-changed lotus land with plenty to ponder.


DISPLAY OF THE DAY


Charlie Shreck

Dashed Yorkshire's hopes of achieving first-innings parity with three wickets during the morning session on his way to 5-58 from 20 overs.