Cricket stumps: Yorkshire take big stride towards title

Following on 257 runs adrift, the home side were dismissed for 266 in mid-afternoon, leaving Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Alex Lees needing just 10 runs for the win.

Lyth wasted no time in clinching the victory, by hitting three boundaries in just five deliveries off the opening over from Luke Fletcher.

Nottinghamshire’s hopes of an unlikely comeback suffered a major setback in the first over of the day as David Hussey edged behind, giving Ryan Sidebottom his 596th first-class wicket and seeing him match his father, Arnie’s, career total.

Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire skipper, has endured a miserable season with the bat but held up the victory charge as he realised his first championship fifty of the summer, coming from 81 deliveries with seven fours.

He added 47 with Riki Wessels, who fell to Jack Brooks for 22, having been dropped by Kane Williamson off Sidebottom when on 12.

Williamson made partial amends by catching Ajmal Shahzad at midwicket, as the former Yorkshire player miscued a long hop from Adil Rashid’s leg spin.

With the forecasters predicting a fourth day wash-out the onus was on the visitors to wrap things up after lunch and again it was Sidebottom who conjured up the crucial wicket, having Read caught behind for 58.

Fletcher and Andre Adams clubbed two sixes apiece in an entertaining stand of 34 in just five overs as they slowed Yorkshire for a while.

But Rashid ended the fun, having Fletcher caught by a back-peddling Andrew Gale at point and then dismissed Harry Gurney for the second time in the contest.

While Yorkshire were left to celebrate an ever-widening gap at the top of the table with a 23-point haul, Nottinghamshire’s performance - their eighth consecutive match without a victory - leaves them anxiously looking over their shoulder at the sides just below them.

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