Yorkshire CCC start well but are pegged back by Worcestershire's fifth-wicket pair

In some difficulty at 67-4 in the 20th over, following an excellent burst first-up from Coad and then from Hill, they recovered in the style of a team that needed only two points going into the match to guarantee promotion.

The champagne currently on ice can officially be opened and joyously consumed when they get to 300 for a second batting bonus point, although they might want to leave it until after the game before getting properly stuck in.

Fair play to Worcestershire, an admirable club which has done well this season, with Yorkshire’s ambitions somewhat less lofty: basically, to avoid finishing bottom of Division Two.

Docked 48 points due to the racism scandal, they went into this fixture six points behind second-bottom Gloucestershire, who are playing Sussex at Hove.

It would be an entirely fitting conclusion to the most troubled period in any county cricket club’s history should Yorkshire finish bottom, if at odds with the generally good cricket they have played overall.

Yorkshire have not been brilliant this year but nor have they been the opposite; with better luck with the weather, they might have picked up a few more wins to go with the two they have managed, both against Derbyshire.

The time to look back on the season is not quite here, of course, and efforts to go out on a high in this match - handed a quick boost by Coad - were frustrated by Kashif Ali and Brett D’Oliveira, Worcestershire’s fifth-wicket pair.

Kashif, a 25-year-old product of the South Asian Cricket Academy, who is playing only his fifth first-class match, advanced to his second half-century and his highest score to date, an excellent 93 from 131 balls with 15 fours.

D’Oliveira, a 31-year-old member of the famous family dynasty, contributed an unbeaten 90 from 191 balls with 14 fours, the pair adding 155 inside 44 overs.

Both played some handsome strokes, Kashif, in particular, pleasing on the eye.

Kashif clipped and punched the ball on both sides of the ground, showing a natural gift for timing and an easy control.

D’Oliveira’s best shot was perhaps the one that took him to his half-century, a velvety cover-drive off Jordan Thompson towards the North-East Stand, where the crowd returned sporting and appreciative applause.

There were perhaps 1,000 or so spectators present on this windswept day of changeable skies: sometimes glorious, other times gloomy.

At first, those skies were dark and weeping, with no play possible before 12.40pm.

It is slightly galling for the paying customer when the players were nevertheless out there playing football a good hour or so before then and going through various fielding drills, but one gave up a long time ago trying to work out the curious ways in which this strange sport operates.

By the time openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby took guard, the sun had emerged, but Coad ensured that Yorkshire took early advantage of the decision to bowl first.

Operating from the Kirkstall Lane end, the maestro reduced Worcestershire to 22-2 in the ninth over, first having Roderick caught at third slip by Fin Bean, low to his right, and then Azhar Ali held at second slip by Adam Lyth, low to his left, Azhar making a peculiar walking motion towards the ball before nicking off.

Milnes, understandably rusty having not played a first-team game since April due to a back stress fracture, gave everything and, with a bit more luck, might have had a wicket.

Hill built on the efforts of the opening pair, striking twice in quick succession when he pinned Libby and then had Jack Haynes caught low to his right by Bean at third.

At that stage, Yorkshire were all over the visitors, but Kashif and D’Oliveira added 63 to lift Worcestershire into tea at 130-4.

D’Oliveira got away with one on 52 when he skied Bess’s fourth ball over mid-off, Shan Masood trying his best to get underneath it, and he was dropped on 63 when he flashed the same bowler to Lyth at a solitary slip, a sharp chance to the fielder’s right.

Eventually, Bess was rewarded when Kashif fell in soft fashion, driving back a return to the bowler, who dived to his left as the batsman slouched over his blade in despair.

No matter, it was a fine innings, and it is almost time for Worcestershire to get the party started.