Rudolph takes step down in move to hit heights

THERE was no greater talking point in Yorkshire cricket last season than the controversial decision to promote Jacques Rudolph from No 4 to open the innings.

The team's best batsman was moved from his customary position in an effort to bring greater solidity to the top of the order, with Yorkshire's 10th wicket having incredibly averaged more than their first wicket during 2008.

Due to a combination of Rudolph's professionalism and adaptability, plus the welcome re-emergence of opener Joe Sayers, the tactical adjustment proved highly successful.

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Rudolph and Sayers averaged 51.72 together in the County Championship and were the only Yorkshire players to pass 1,000 runs.

But there were also downsides to the Rudolph experiment.

The South African was more exposed to the new ball and although he enjoyed another outstanding campaign, finishing leading run-scorer for a third successive year, his effectiveness was perhaps reduced by five per cent.

For although Rudolph enjoyed his most productive summer in terms of runs (1,334 at 51.30), his average was slightly down on previous years (56.73 in 2007 and 56.17 in 2008) and he registered five ducks in 27 innings; in overall first-class cricket he averages a duck only once every 10 innings.

The left-hander's presence at the top of the order left an obvious hole further down the list, with Yorkshire too often reliant on their lower-order to get them out of trouble.

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Now the club have had a rethink and reverted Rudolph to No 4, with Adam Lyth chosen to open the innings alongside Sayers.

The move worked well during the opening Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, when Rudolph scored 75 and 69 not out and Lyth contributed a second innings 67 that laid the foundation for an impressive victory.

"Moving back to No 4 was a collective decision," explained Rudolph ahead of today's championship encounter against Somerset at Headingley.

"When 'Frog' (Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of professional cricket) asked me where I wanted to bat this year, I said No 4 and he agreed with that.

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"From a selfish point of view, with the amount of cricket I've played over the last three or four years, I just find it so much easier to contain my mental energy and mental strength throughout a season at No 4.

"It means that as soon as we finish fielding I don't have to go out and bat again straight away, which makes it a lot easier."

Rudolph, who has played 32 first-class games for Yorkshire and the South African side Titans since March last year, believes the batting order now has a more solid look.

"What I like about it is that we've got Anthony McGrath, myself and Galey at three, four and five, which gives us a lot more stability as opposed to having more inexperienced players in those positions," he said.

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"It also gives Adam Lyth a chance in the opening spot and it was pleasing to see the way he and Jonny Bairstow played at Edgbaston, because both those guys were absolutely superb."

Rudolph has been a huge hit and a model professional since joining Yorkshire in 2007 – and now he wants to take his game to a higher level.

"I've just had a very good season in South Africa – I got a lot of starts, a lot of 50s, and from a form point of view I've been feeling very comfortable and content," he said.

"But in the first innings against Warwickshire I should have gone on to get a big hundred and that will be my challenge this season – to try to extend my 50s into big hundreds, 200s, 250s.

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"I think to score 1,000 runs over here is an average season if you play 16 Championship games, so I want to be pushing towards 1,500.

"In South Africa, if you play 10 games and score 1,000 runs, that's a very good season, but you want to be looking for more than that during a full season in England."

Rudolph is optimistic about Yorkshire's prospects in 2010. "We could be a little bit inexperienced in terms of bowling when players are on international duty, but it creates opportunities for people to step up to the plate," he said.

"We saw that at Edgbaston with Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who did superbly well and took five wickets. I think our average age this year is something like 24.

"We've just got to stay patient with the younger players but we're definitely moving in the right direction."