Jason Gillespie defends Yorkshire's decision to engineer a result in title bid

Yorkshire and Middlesex contrived to engineer a result at the home of cricket on day four of their County Championship finale, knowing the winner would claim the title.

The fixture had a knock-on effect in that Somerset would have won the title had the match ended in a draw.

But the respective captains of Middlesex and Yorkshire decided to set a reachable target in an attempt to get a result.

After half a day of sparring and a spot of collusion, Yorkshire were left to chase 240 in 40 overs to win the trophy for a third successive year.

Despite a courageous effort, with Tim Bresnan adding 55 to his first innings 142 to cap a terrific individual performance, the visitors pulled up agonisingly short, Toby Roland-Jones, the 28-year-old right-arm pace bowler, writing himself into Middlesex folklore by sealing the contest and the Championship with a hat-trick.

Gillespie took to Twitter this weekend to defend the decision.

He tweeted: “I find it incredible that people will question our game yesterday. 2 teams striving for a result. That’s what it’s about! #greatcricket”

In conversations later in the day with people he wrote: “here to entertain the people that part with their hard earned ££ to watch and fans following via media” and “We played to win, as did Middlesex. All within the laws of the game, hence the so called spirit of the game”.

The decision has met with a mixed reaction with a number of Yorkshire members writing to The Yorkshire Post to tell us what they think.

Here is a snapshot of their views.

From: Norman Hazell, Sandal, Wakefield

While there was great excitement on the last day of the County Championship season, I was disappointed that, having failed to bowl out Middlesex, Yorkshire chose to turn the match into a farce with ‘joke’ bowling.

After that there was only going to be one winner (and so it proved) with Middlesex bowling flat out against our unreliable batsmen. My sympathy was all with Somerset (a draw at Lord’s would have given them the title).

Incidentally, I wonder if our board will be strong enough to deal with a player who refused to take part in this match.

From: Terry Kelly, email

In my view, what happened at Lord’s was not just against the spirit of cricket but against the spirit of competitive sport.

I was enthralled by a wonderful match for three-and- a-half days but it descended into farce.

It was the worst thing I have ever seen on a cricket pitch. The sight of Alex Lees bowling like a four-year-old on Filey beach, fielders running alongside the ball and Yorkshire staff acting as ball-boys was awful.

As a Yorkshire member, I am livid. I don’t wish to win the Championship in such circumstances and neither do I wish to see Somerset robbed.

I can’t think how angry Somerset’s supporters must be at losing out on the title in such a way.

From: David Butterfield, one angry ex-Yorkshire follower.

Quite how The Yorkshire Post cricket correspondent Chris Waters can describe events at Lord’s (the title-decider between Middlesex and Yorkshire) as being county cricket at its finest is beyond my comprehension.

As a 67-year-old cricket fanatic and Yorkshire follower – despite being a Lincolnshire yellow-belly – I feel nothing but contempt at the final day’s events.

To see a Middlesex batsman deliberately pat the ball back to a Yorkshire non-bowler and give his wicket away summed up the whole situation – a total farce, and all this at the most sacred of cricket grounds in the world.

Could you ever imagine the likes of Geoffrey Boycott or Sir Garfield Sobers showing the game such disrespect?

The whole essence of sport is that you always try your hardest, and if you can’t win you do everything possible to prevent your opponent from doing so.

Obviously, in my mind, the two captains at Lord’s decided that Somerset were not going to win the Championship and contrived an artificial result (Middlesex winning and taking the title).

In any other sport, these two teams would be hauled before the authorities and severely punished.

If the ECB let this go without taking any action the game will be tarnished for good.

From: Peter Tummons, email

Yorkshire’s participation in the contrived result at Lord’s was shameful. Their actions handed the Championship to Middlesex.

The victory target for Yorkshire was never possible and their use of ‘joke’ bowlers in Middlesex’s second innings was a disgrace.

For his acquiescence in this travesty, Andrew Gale should resign as Yorkshire’s captain and I shall not renew my membership.

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