Still all to play for in League title hunt – Moxon

Yorkshire went into their last County Championship game with a 25.5-point lead at the top of the table.

They go into their next fixture against Sussex today 14.5 points off the pace following a 40-point swing in the race for the title.

Durham’s victory over Yorkshire at Scarborough, followed by the former’s win against Sussex at Chester-le-Street, has seen the North East club suddenly surge ahead.

After looking home and hosed in their 150th year, Yorkshire are now looking up at a club aiming to win the title for the third time in six years in just their 21st year as a first-class county.

If that represents a cause for concern, with only three games left to try to turn the tables, it also shows why no one at Yorkshire need abandon hope.

If matters can change that swiftly in the space of a few days, with Durham taking advantage of a below-par Yorkshire performance at North Marine Road and then their game in hand against Sussex, it could quite easily change again in the last three weeks of the season – particularly with 72 points still up for grabs.

Should Yorkshire beat Sussex at Hove this week and should Durham achieve no better than a low-scoring draw away to Derbyshire, Yorkshire could be back on top by close of play Saturday.

Just as no one at Durham is counting their chickens, so 
no one at Yorkshire is throwing in the towel.

“Although the last two weeks have changed our position of strength, ultimately there is still everything to play for and a lot can still happen,” said Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket.

“There are a lot of points available to be won and we haven’t become a bad side overnight.

“Realistically, if you’d given us this position at the start of the year we’d have grabbed it with both hands, so I don’t think there’s any need for us to be down or to panic.

“At the end of the day, we’ve still got a chance of winning the County Championship, and that’s something to be enjoyed rather than something to be worried about.”

Durham’s next two opponents, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, are seventh and sixth in the table, respectively, while Sussex’s title hopes – if mathematically still aflame – will be extinguished by the time Durham head to Hove for their final fixture.

Nottinghamshire are in freefall, looking nervously over their shoulders after Yorkshire’s 10-wicket win at Trent Bridge ushered them closer to the relegation trapdoor, although Derbyshire have lately experienced a revival.

Since Yorkshire hammered them by an innings at Chesterfield, Derbyshire have won three of their last four games.

Yorkshire’s run-in starts against a Sussex side demoralised by a 285-run defeat to Durham, a result that effectively ended their title hopes.

They will have Ed Joyce and Matt Machan back to strengthen the batting, after both were unavailable last week due to international commitments, while England’s Matt Prior is back behind the stumps.

However, they should be no match for a Yorkshire side who have looked unrecognisable from the team beaten by Sussex in their opening match of the season at Headingley.

After that, Middlesex – still clinging to mathematical title hopes of their own – will hold no fears for Yorkshire at Headingley next week, particularly after Yorkshire trounced them at Lord’s.

Surrey, who are Yorkshire’s last opponents of the season at The Oval, are bottom of the league with just one win from 13 games, although it is possible they may need to win that fixture to stay in the division.

Neither Yorkshire nor Durham will be unduly concerned by their remaining games, therefore, while at the same time taking nothing for granted.

Yorkshire perhaps need to win two of their last three and hope Durham slip up, but it is impossible to predict how many wins might be needed.

With three matches from mid-September onwards, the weather could yet have a crucial say.

All it takes is a bit of wet stuff here or a dry few days there, and luck with the elements could play a big part.

With that in mind, bonus points could yet be significant, with eight up for grabs per county per game.

Yorkshire will certainly attempt to make things happen.

They have played a positive brand of cricket this season. Even if half a game is lost, for instance, they are likely to make inventive declarations in an attempt to win.

Anything could yet happen – and most probably will.

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