Guard of honour for Patterson as Yorkshire battle to beat the drop

It is unlikely that Steve Patterson - no-nonsense, hard-bitten Yorkshireman that he is - welled up similarly on the second day at Headingley, but there was no nicer touch than when the Gloucestershire players gave him a guard of honour as he walked out to bat on his last appearance.

Patterson was met at the front of the guard by Graeme van Buuren, the Gloucestershire captain, who shook his hand warmly, and he was applauded to the middle by his opponents and by umpires Ian Blackwell and James Middlebrook, the latter having played with him at Yorkshire during their Championship-winning season of 2015.

Whereas Bradman was bowled second ball by an Eric Hollies googly, which kept his average to a mortal 99.94 when just four runs would have given him a divine 100, Patterson survived for 24 balls and was last out for six as Yorkshire scored 183 in response to Gloucestershire’s first innings 190, the visitors reaching 204-6 at stumps on day two, a lead of 211.

The decision to let Patterson leave at the end of the season, despite the fact that he turns 39 on Monday, is viewed by some as a major mistake.

Granted, on the scale of mistakes made by the club in recent times, it barely registers on the error scale; indeed, Inspector Clouseau would have done a better job of running the organisation, such have been the myriad calamities.

But Patterson would seem to have a lot of things going for him - 488 first-class wickets at 27.63, plenty of enduring quality and experience, and the not inconsiderable factor of a good fitness record.

Yorkshire, though, clearly want to go down a different route, although hopefully not for their sake into Division Two of the Championship as they battle to avoid the threat of relegation.

When Patterson and his team-mates shake hands with van Buurren and co after the match, which may end on day three given good weather, it will be fascinating to see which way the result has gone and where Yorkshire stand in relation to events elsewhere.

Warwickshire, the only side who could condemn them to demotion, have been frustrated by rain in their efforts to beat Hampshire, with only 73.1 overs possible across the first two days at Edgbaston, where the hosts declared on 272-4 before Hampshire reached 4-0 in reply.

What can be said is that if Warwickshire get one more bonus point and win that match, and if Yorkshire lose, Yorkshire will go down, perhaps a day after this game in Leeds has finished.

But there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge and Yorkshire will still hope to win this match on a pitch that remains good for batting, a credit to Andy Fogarty and his hard-working groundstaff.

Glorious sunshine blessed the ground for much of day two, albeit the breeze was brisk and conditions parky.

Yorkshire resumed on 80-3, 110 runs adrift, and had trimmed 41 off that deficit inside half-an-hour thanks to some positive strokeplay from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Jonny Tattersall, the overnight pair.

Kohler-Cadmore produced a flurry of boundaries, determined to go out in style on what is also his last appearance for Yorkshire, and he was within one boundary of a half-century when he perished for what proved to be the top score of 46, top-edging a pull off left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar’s first delivery of the day to mid-wicket.

Gohar was excellent from The Howard Stand end, and he added two more quick wickets when Harry Duke was leg-before pushing forward and Tattersall caught at slip by Ollie Price.

Yorkshire fell to 146-7 when Dom Bess was strangled down the leg-side by pace man Ajeet Singh Dale, and then Gohar bagged two more to register a five-fer: Jordan Thompson edging a drive to slip and Ben Coad skying to cover.

The innings concluded when Patterson - no tears in his eyes - slashed pace bowler Tom Price to second slip, where his younger brother Ollie pouched the catch.

When Gloucestershire replied straight after lunch, Coad struck with the fourth ball when Chris Dent was caught behind. Ben Charlesworth and James Bracey added 55 for the second wicket before Gloucestershire lost 4-18 in 5.1 overs to fall to 74-5, just 81 in front.

Bess trapped Charlesworth lbw with a full-length delivery; Coad had Miles Hammond caught in the gully off the shoulder of the bat; Bracey drove back a return catch to Bess, and Matty Fisher had van Buuren edging something of a nothing shot to second slip.

But Ollie Price (54 not out) and Jack Taylor (67) changed the complexion with an excellent stand of 122, ended when Taylor swatted Fisher to short mid-on.