Gale leads from the front to lift Yorkshire's title bid

Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire LV county championship

YORKSHIRE went into the opening day of this game as underdogs to win the County Championship.

They ended it arguably as slight favourites following a magnificent performance with bat and ball.

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Yorkshire cannot return to the top of the table by defeating the leaders at Trent Bridge.

They went into the match 25 points behind Nottinghamshire with two games left and there are only 24 points on offer for a win.

But the manner of Yorkshire's display was such that even though a victory would still send them into the final round of games behind Nottinghamshire and possibly Somerset, the momentum generated could well be sufficient to carry them all the way.

Yorkshire have potentially the easiest fixture of the top three next week when they host relegation-haunted Kent at Headingley Carnegie, while Nottinghamshire visit Lancashire and Somerset travel to Durham.

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Although there is no greater truism than the fact nothing is won on paper, Andrew Gale's men have at the very least given themselves a genuine opportunity of landing the club's first title since 2001.

Yorkshire could even complete an historic double by winning the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition in which their form has been even more impressive.

For now, however, the focus is on the Championship – and what a time they chose to serve up their best day's work of the season.

Even accounting for the fact they enjoyed the considerable advantage of winning the toss, with Gale having no hesitation in asking Nottinghamshire to bat on a pitch that looked more green than the Incredible Hulk, they made the most of that fortune by playing some superb cricket.

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Just four overs after lunch, Nottinghamshire were all out for 59 after they were blown away by Oliver Hannon-Dalby (4-18), Ajmal Shahzad (4-21) and debutant Moin Ashraf (2-11).

Nottinghamshire's was the lowest Championship total against Yorkshire since Warwickshire were routed for 35 at Sheffield in 1979, while it was Nottinghamshire's lowest Championship score since they were dismissed for 44 by Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1988.

Only Mark Wagh (22) and Ali Brown (16) reached double figures during an innings that contained five ducks.

By stumps, Yorkshire had rattled along to 260-8 at over four runs an over, a performance that made a mockery of Nottinghamshire's feeble effort – the second-lowest Championship total of the summer behind Derbyshire's 44 against Gloucestershire last week.

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Gale played a potentially crucial innings by scoring 147 not out, three shy of his career-best, while Jonathan Bairstow chipped in with a valuable 36 as the pair added 111 for the fourth-wicket in just 17 overs.

Although it is worth remembering Derbyshire recovered from their collapse at Bristol to win by 54 runs, Nottinghamshire's task is already stiffer and there is even a chance Yorkshire could win inside two days.

Despite the favourable bowling conditions, no one could have predicted the drama ahead when the teams took the field on an overcast morning. From the last ball of the first over, makeshift opener Paul Franks followed a wide one from Shahzad and was smartly caught by Bairstow at third slip.

In the seventh over, Alex Hales chased another wide one from Shahzad and was brilliantly caught by Adil Rashid, diving full length to his right at fourth slip.

Then came 18-year-old Ashraf.

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The Bradford-born pace bowler, who had previously played only two first-class games, produced a ripper to remove Adam Voges, who was turned around by a delivery that clipped off-stump.

Ashraf then had Samit Patel caught behind as Nottinghamshire slipped to 18-4 in the 19th over. Amid the carnage, there was a fine opening spell of 7-2-8-0 from Steve Patterson, who several times went past the bat without reward.

The home team went into lunch on 47-6 after Hannon-Dalby struck twice shortly before the break, having Brown lbw and Chris Read lbw for a duck.

Hannon-Dalby picked up two more wickets after the interval as the hosts subsided in 33.2 overs to make their 11th-lowest first-class total against Yorkshire.

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The visitors reached 30 before they lost their first wicket, Jacques Rudolph caught in the gully off Andre Adams.

Adam Lyth was caught at second slip and Anthony McGrath held at third, but Gale and Bairstow steadied the ship with a fine stand. Bairstow went lbw to Adams, who bowled Gerard Brophy on his way to 4-82.

Adil Rashid struck Patel to deep mid-on, Shahzad and Patterson were caught behind off Franks, but Gale ploughed on.

The left-hander had a life on 139 – dropped by Adams off Patel – but his was a classy and potentially title-winning knock.