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Yorkshire earn their reward for toiling in the heat
Somerset v Yorkshire
County Championship
"NOTHING in me wanted to be playing at Taunton this week, standing at mid-off with Marcus Trescothick belting the ball at me."
So proclaimed Michael Vaughan in his newspaper column yesterday, the former Yorkshire and England batsman explaining he had lost much of his desire to keep playing county cricket.
Vaughan was a shrewd cookie.
He got out of professional cricket at just the right time.
For on an unbearably hot day in the sun-kissed West Country, it was someone else who had the misfortune to be standing at mid-off to Trescothick, who scored a magnificent century as Yorkshire toiled valiantly in the debilitating heat.
The former England batsman made 146 – in the process becoming the leading run-scorer in the County Championship this season with 719 at 65.36 – as Somerset totalled 326-9 in reply to Yorkshire's first innings 438, the visitors holding a firm advantage as they chase their first Championship win for just over a year.
Trescothick did not just belt the ball in the direction of mid-off, however, but to all parts of a parched County Ground during the course of registering the 34th first-class century of his career.
His efforts sustained Somerset in much the same way that those of Jacques Rudolph bolstered Yorkshire on the opening day, the South African contributing 191 during an innings in which no other Yorkshire batsman passed 40.
The left-handed openers have been a class apart in a match in which too many players have thrown away their wickets in the batsmen-friendly conditions.
Somerset have been the more culpable in that regard, James Hildreth and Zander de Bruyn both departing to X-rated shots yesterday that aided Yorkshire's charge and almost caused the home supporters to choke on their ice creams.
After reaching 51 from 37 balls with 11 fours, Hildreth inexplicably gave it away when he aimed an ugly leg-side heave at his next delivery and was bowled by Ajmal Shahzad, who was the pick of the Yorkshire attack.
De Bruyn's demise was the stroke of a man who had momentarily lost all concentration on the hottest of days, the South African appearing in no trouble before lazily driving James Lee to Andrew Gale at cover.
Lee's first four overs disappeared for 34 as he either over-pitched or strayed in line, but De Bruyn's wicket triggered a good fightback by the 20-year-old, who had Trescothick caught and bowled shortly before the close to cap a fine day for the visitors.
Yorkshire resumed on 375-7 in the morning and claimed a fifth and final batting point before Matthew Hoggard became the eighth man out, caught at mid-off off former Yorkshire pace bowler David Stiff after scoring a useful 26.
Stiff had a shocker on the first day – spraying the ball all over – but he wrapped up the innings by then having Steve Patterson caught behind and Lee caught in the slips by Trescothick to end with distinctly flattering figures of 4-92.
Shahzad finished unbeaten on 27 as Yorkshire got up to around a par total, although still somewhat short of what they might have fashioned from a platform of 338-4.
Somerset's reply began in scintillating style as Trescothick and Arul Suppiah brought up a 50 opening partnership in next to no time before the latter fell in the last over before lunch, superbly caught, low and to his right, by Joe Sayers at second slip off Hoggard.
Justin Langer fell lbw to Patterson shortly after the break, the prelude to a breathtaking partnership of 80 between Trescothick and Hildreth in just 10 overs.
Hildreth's kamikaze shot spoiled Somerset's momentum but Trescothick kept his cool to make the big score required.
He survived a difficult chance on 123 when Shahzad almost caught him off his own bowling running round to mid-wicket after Trescothick top-edged an attempted pull, but it was an otherwise chanceless exhibition.
In the closing stages, Shahzad bowled Craig Kieswetter and Hoggard claimed three wickets when he had Peter Trego lbw, Alfonso Thomas caught behind and Andy Caddick bowled.
Somerset closed 112 behind with plenty to do, although Yorkshire will be hoping the forecasted heavy thunderstorms today do not materialise.
DISPLAY OF THE DAY
Marcus Trescothick
Yorkshire's advantage would have been considerably greater but for Trescothick, who scored 146 from 223 balls with 24 fours and one six.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
