Spectators’ patience repaid as Yorkshire stage late fightback

It lasted a mere 10 minutes and soon gave way to bright sunshine, meaning supporters who had scampered for cover as the heavens opened in a torrential fashion were able to leave whatever makeshift shelter they had sought and return blinking back into the light.

The sight that met their return to the boundary edge was not an encouraging one with the outfield, which had been spongy before a ball had been bowled, clearly in a sodden state.

Nowhere was this more evident than at the bottom end of the sloping Queen’s Park ground, where the heavy burst of rain combined with the truly awful weather of recent weeks meant small puddles had formed almost instantly.

Cricketing folk are, in the main, a stoical lot but such a miserable 2012 – Yorkshire first team coach Jason Gillespie estimated this week that the county had lost 45 per cent of their Championship season so far to the elements – has left even the most glass half full characters fearing the worst.

Thankfully for those who had taken a chance and paid their money despite a shocking weather forecast, such pessimistic thinking proved wide of the mark as the day ended with only one over being lost and the assembled crowd treated to a contest that befitted the lofty status in the table of the two combatants.

For those of a White Rose persuasion, much of what they saw until the final 90 minutes made for uncomfortable viewing as a spectacular batting collapse by their side seemed to have handed the initiative to their title rivals.

Five wickets were lost for just 10 runs inside seven overs, meaning that from an initially promising 175-3 the visitors were in real danger of missing out on even a solitary bonus point.

They did eventually rally thanks to some lusty hitting from Steve Harmison but, even so, there was no mistaking the smug look on many local faces until a late flurry of Derbyshire wickets meant the visitors will go into the second day the happier of the two sides.

That much was probably deserved, as but for the mid-afternoon batting collapse and the early stages of Derbyshire’s reply, Yorkshire contributed fully to a keenly-fought day’s play.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the visitors made a solid start and by the time the rain arrived shortly before lunch they had reached 114-3.

Phil Jaques had been joined at the crease by Gary Ballance and, the weather apart, all seemed fine on a wicket displaying sufficient variable bounce to suggest batting fourth would be far from a comfortable experience.

Adam Lyth had been caught out by a delivery from Tim Groenewald that rose sharply to leave the left-hander unable to do anything but fend the ball into the gloves of Richard Johnson.

By then, Joe Root had also perished courtesy of a thick edge to Matt Lineker at gully but once, first, Jonny Bairstow came to the crease and then Ballance the Yorkshire total began ticking over at a decent pace.

Ballance, in particular, displayed a liking for the home attack either side of the rain delay that suggested an imposing total was in the offing.

However, once the former Derbyshire youngster edged a rising delivery from Mark Turner to Johnson, Yorkshire pressed the self-destruct button in spectacular fashion.

Anthony McGrath lasted just four balls before Turner again found the edge and Wes Durston claimed the catch at first slip.

After that, the wickets kept tumbling as Richard Pyrah was trapped lbw by Turner and Jaques skied a loose delivery from Durston into the hands of former Yorkshire favourite David Wainwright.

Azeem Rafiq then became Durston’s second victim – and the fifth batsmen to perish in seven overs – before Harmison’s spurt of three boundaries and a lusty six did, at least, give the total a sheen of respectability.

The hope as Yorkshire took to the field was that the Durham loanee would be able to follow his late cameo with the kind of devastating spell of bowling that once made him an England hero.

Sadly, Harmison’s rustiness with the ball was all too evident in an initial three-over spell that saw him hit for 27, bowl four no-balls and concede nine wides.

The fightback began courtesy of Steve Patterson, who had Wayne Madsen caught at point.

Two wickets in as many overs as Matt Lineker and Usman Khawaja were bowled by Richard Pyrah and Moin Ashraf respectively then gave the White Rose a toehold that they cemented when Dan Redfern was trapped lbw.

Harmison then underlined his guts and determination by returning to capture the wickets of Jon Clare as Bairstow took the catch and then Durston, who edged to Lyth at second slip.

A third wicket followed for the one-time England pace bowler when Wainwright holed out to Ashraf in the deep to ensure that it was Yorkshire who reached the 7pm close in the ascendancy.