Yorkshire CCC suffer second defeat in four Championship games

Notable not least as Yorkshire were able to select six players with Test match experience, boasting 298 caps between them, including the returning Joe Root and Harry Brook.

Warwickshire, for their part, fielded just the one, the all-rounder Beau Webster, who played three times for Australia earlier this year.

Collectively, Yorkshire’s side had 1,133 first-class appearances going into the game, Warwickshire’s 675.

Four of the visiting team had played seven first-class matches or fewer, including the debutant Zen Malik, who top-scored in the run-chase with 49 not out.

All of which shows that the only thing predictable about sport is its unpredictability.

Yorkshire have had fewer stronger sides on paper in recent times - it would have been stronger still had Dawid Malan (groin) been fit and selected - but the only thing that counts is the result in the scorebook, Warwickshire chasing 185 to win by five wickets with a day and a half left.

If Yorkshire were to have any chance on a distinctly fresh day, the skies murky and the mercury only just rising into double figures, it seemed essential that they took early wickets to cause a few jitters.

They opened with George Hill bowling from The Howard Stand end and Ben Coad operating with the pavilion at his back, but Warwickshire began confidently enough, adding 30 runs in as many minutes after resuming on 15-0.

Alex Davies, the visiting captain, took three successive boundaries off Hill, twice turning him to the leg-side and then striking him through the covers, the left-handed Rob Yates also driving Hill through the covers with a fine follow-through and flourish.

Coad should have had a wicket in his fourth over of the day, Davies, on 27, practically steering the chance to Brook at third slip, the ball seeming to take him by surprise and deflecting to the boundary for good measure, but Coad made the breakthrough in his next over, bringing one back to bowl Davies through the gate as he looked to drive straight.

Hill was replaced by Jordan Buckingham, who conceded 84 runs from 11 overs in the first innings.

The Australian debutant struck in his second over, having Hamza Shaikh caught behind as he rather pushed at the ball, leaving the visitors 60-2.

A rogue shower immediately caused the shortest of delays, coming and going faster than you could say “I love The Hundred”, and Malik, the new batsman, was immediately tested by the pace of Ben Sears.

But Buckingham once again proved expensive, Yates turning him for four off his hip and then pulling him to the rope as the visitors ticked along at around four an over, Buckingham withdrawn from the attack after three overs for 21.

Warwickshire, who had held their nerve to chase 339 to beat Durham by one wicket at Chester-le-Street last month, wobbled in the minutes just before lunch.

Yates played rather indecisively off the back foot at Sears, sending a catch flying to Root at first slip, who took it at the second attempt, the opener having made a patient 41.

When Buckingham’s replacement, Jordan Thompson, then uprooted the off stump of Dan Mousley, pushing forward, Warwickshire were 109-4 at the break, still 76 from home.

Malik, rather old for a debutant at the age of 27, having spent several seasons as a trialist and with the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA), has waited a long time for his chance in Championship cricket.

Compact and classy, he showed his skill when whipping Sears to the mid-wicket boundary and particularly when on-driving Thompson to the foot of The Howard Stand; he also displayed an excellent temperament under the circumstances.

After lunch, Malik and Ed Barnard took the sting out of the situation like a pair of peace envoys parachuted into the midst of a conflict.

Runs were picked off sensibly like open reds on a snooker table, with neither batsman attempting the cricketing equivalent of a risky shot into the cluster, or a difficult one along the side cushion.

They picked up the pace as the winning line approached, Barnard collecting four boundaries off one Sears over, including a ramp shot for six.

Barnard eventually fell trying to uppercut Sears, who tried to blast out the batsmen, ending a partnership with Malik worth 59 from 79 deliveries.

Webster carved his first ball from Sears over third man for six, and Malik won it with a pulled six off Hill, Yorkshire also losing one of their three points due to a slow over-rate.