Wet start doesn’t bode well for title prospects

Those three little words, tweeted by Yorkshire first team coach Jason Gillespie yesterday, neatly encapsulated what most of us feel about the 2012 cricket season, which has largely been a soggy non-event.

Only 30.1 overs were possible on the opening day of the County Championship match against Derbyshire, time enough for the home side to score 127-2 after losing the toss, Adam Lyth top-scoring with an unbeaten 60 and Andrew Gale chipping in with 47.

Yorkshire have now lost 7,718 of a possible 17,640 minutes in the tournament this season – 43.75 per cent of playing time.

Or, to put it another way, 128 of a possible 294 hours have fallen by the wayside.

More important, the weather denied Yorkshire the chance to take this game forward, a game they must realistically win to preserve their hopes of being promoted back to Division One as champions.

With more bad weather forecast tomorrow, this game already has the feel of a watery draw – something that would suit the visitors more than Gale’s men.

Derbyshire hold a 26-point lead at the top of Division Two and have a game in hand on all their rivals.

There is no imperative for them to contrive a finish, which third-placed Yorkshire would be anxious to do.

In the limited play possible, all but one ball of which took place in the morning session, Yorkshire rattled along at four runs an over following the early loss of Australian Phil Jaques.

The left-hander, who scored 219 when these teams last met in the Championship at Headingley in 2005, shouldered arms to a ball from Tim Groenewald which nipped back in and clipped the stumps.

Groenewald and Tony Pallidino tested Yorkshire in the opening overs but Lyth grew in stature as the session impressed, well-supported by captain Gale.

The pair knocked the bowlers off their lines and lengths and were quick to punish the boundary balls, of which there were far too many for Derbyshire’s palate.

Gale, all muscular authority and tigerish purpose, looked in fine fettle until he fell just shy of a second half-century in the competition this season.

When Ross Whiteley banged one in, Gale top-edged a pull into the hands of Mark Turner at long-leg and walked off suitably miffed with himself.

Lyth, however, was not for dislodging.

A majestic cover drive off Turner, executed with regal flourish to the foot of the West Stand, was one of many highlights as he brought up his fifty from 77 balls.

Lyth also hit the opening delivery of the afternoon session for four off Palladino before the rain – light at first – drove the players from the field.

Before long, the city of Leeds was barely visible in the distance as the heavens discharged with familiar ferocity.

Play was abandoned at 4.20pm with standing water on the outfield and only hardy spectators left in the ground.

The rain not only scuppered the home team’s attempts to force the pace but provided a frustrating first day in a Yorkshire shirt for Andrew Hodd, the 28-year-old wicketkeeper signed on loan from Sussex until the end of the season.

Hodd, drafted in as cover for Jonny Bairstow following the retirement of Gerard Brophy, said the first thing Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon had told him was to “bring some good weather with you”.

He is also eager to win a permanent deal.

“It would be stupid not to have that in the back of my mind,” said Hodd, who is making his first first-class appearance for 13 months.

“I’ve got to prove something and I’m just going to give it a red-hot go and try and back myself.

“I just want to do myself justice and hopefully help get Yorkshire promoted.

“I’m sure Jonny Bairstow will go well with England and hopefully it might open up a door for me.”

Hodd, who is out of contract at Hove at the end of the season, said the deal had been in the offing for several weeks.

“I’ve been talking to Martyn Moxon for a month now with a view to maybe something happening at the end of this year or happening next year, just kind of low-key chats and stuff,” he said.

“And then, on Sunday night, I got a phone call to say that Gerard is retiring and stuff and would you come up, and I just jumped at the opportunity.

“I drove up Monday, practised Tuesday, and now straight into this game.

“It’s been really good so far, everyone’s been really fantastic on-and-off the pitch and I’ve got a really good vibe about the club.”