Yorkshire in control as Rashid delivers advantage

For long periods yesterday that must have been a blessing in disguise as the game dragged on in soporific style.

After Yorkshire totalled 425 in their first innings, Gerard Brophy leading the way with 103, Warwickshire made facile progress to 102-0.

Then wickets began to tumble in exciting fashion as title-chasing Yorkshire took a vice-like grip.

Not for the first time this season, or, one suspects, the last, Adil Rashid did the principal damage, the leg-spinner claiming 4-61 as Warwickshire slumped to 221-7 at stumps on day two.

Rashid has come into his own in recent weeks and could be the key weapon as Yorkshire chase their first Championship title since 2001.

The pitches are likely to suit him more and more as summer develops, particularly if the driest start to a year since 1929 continues apace.

Rashid is comfortably Yorkshire's leading wicket-taker in the Championship with 37 at 28.54 and has responded well to being poorly handled by England, who did nothing for his confidence by picking him for last winter's tour to South Africa and then hanging him out to dry like a forgotten garment.

Before a crowd of around 2,000, Yorkshire resumed yesterday on 325-4 with hopes of posting a substantial first-innings score.

They suffered an early setback when Rashid failed to add to his overnight 29, falling lbw to the second ball of the morning bowled by Neil Carter, Warwickshire's best performer with 4-87.

Brophy, who needed only eight more runs for his hundred, got there by steering Carter for four and celebrating with a refreshingly restrained raise of his bat in an age when melodramatic gestures are standard.

It was only the wicketkeeper's second century for the county after his unbeaten 100 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl in 2007 and was well-received by the Headingley crowd.

Brophy was unable to go on to a big score, however, being sixth out with the total on 345 when he cut Rikki Clarke sharply to Ant Botha at point.

Yorkshire slipped to 369-7 when Azeem Rafiq steered Clarke to Steffan Piolet in the gully before Richard Pyrah and Steve Patterson hoisted the total above 400 with a sensible stand.

Patterson was run out by Piolet fielding at short third-man, Tino Best caught by Piolet in the gully off Clarke and Oliver Hannon-Dalby caught at short-leg off Imran Tahir as Yorkshire were dismissed shortly after lunch for a more than respectable total.

Pyrah finished on 45 not out from 73 deliveries – a performance made more impressive by the fact the all-rounder was feeling a tad under the weather.

With only 10 batting points from nine Championship fixtures, easily the lowest figure in the country, Warwickshire always seemed unlikely to approach the heady heights of Yorkshire's total.

Their previous first innings scores this summer were 217, 254, 382, 250, 113, 127, 100, 140 and 224, but Ian Westwood and Darren Maddy surprised probably even themselves by registering Warwickshire's first century opening stand in the tournament since June 2008 on a pitch that remained firm and true.

They took 27 runs off Best's opening five overs and played confident strokes all around the ground. With the match seemingly drifting, however, and entertainment at a premium, Yorkshire sparked the contest back into life with two wickets just before tea.

Hannon-Dalby had Maddy lbw for 35 before Rashid won an lbw verdict against Westwood after the captain had scored 66 from 95 balls with 11 fours.

After lifting their total to 148-2, the game swung strongly Yorkshire's way when Warwickshire lost three wickets for five runs in nine balls. The wily Rashid had Jim Troughton and Botha caught at short-leg, while Patterson removed Ateeq Javid lbw.

A rain delay added half an hour to the proceedings but failed to reduce the allocation of overs as Yorkshire intensified Warwickshire's difficulties by taking two further wickets before the close.

Best produced a fine ball to bowl Tim Ambrose for 30 before Rashid picked up his fourth wicket by having Piolet lbw for six.

Warwickshire finished 55 short of avoiding the follow-on as Yorkshire chase their fourth Championship win of the season.

With title rivals Nottinghamshire boasting two games in hand, one senses it is imperative Yorkshire go on to record victory here.

LV County Championship

Division One

Yorkshire v Warwickshire

Headingley Carnegie: Warwicks (3pts) trail Yorkshire (5) by 204 with three 1st inns wickets standing.

Overnight: Yorkshire 325-4.

Yorkshire First Innings

A Lyth lbw b Carter 84

J A Rudolph c Clarke b Carter 0

A McGrath c Maddy b Carter 57

J M Bairstow lbw b Piolet 44

G L Brophy c Botha b Clarke 103

A U Rashid lbw b Carter 29

R M Pyrah not out 45

Rafiq c Piolet b Clarke 12

S A Patterson run out 14

T L Best c Piolet b Rankin 2

OJ Hannon-Dalby c Westwood b Imran Tahir 0

Extras b13 lb16 nb6 35

Total (124.5 overs) 425

Fall: 1-5 2-153 3-156 4-256 5-325 6-345 7-369 8-414 9-424

Bowling: Carter 30 7 87 4; Rankin 20 4 73 1; Clarke 24 8 63 2; Piolet 15 3 67 1; Imran Tahir 21.5 3 73 1; Maddy 10 4 18 0; Botha 4 0 15 0.

Warwickshire First Innings

I J Westwood lbw b Rashid 66

D L Maddy lbw b Hannon-Dalby 35

A G Botha c Lyth b Rashid 19

J O Troughton c Lyth b Rashid 22

A Javid lbw b Patterson 1

T R Ambrose b Best 30

R Clarke not out 19

S A Piolet lbw b A U Rashid 6

N M Carter not out 12

Extras b5 lb6 11

Total 7 wkts (65 overs) 221

Fall: 1-102 2-104 3-148 4-153 5-153 6-200 7-208

To Bat: Imran Tahir, W B Rankin.

Bowling: Best 7 0 32 1; Patterson 13 4 36 1; Hannon-Dalby 13 5 42 1; Pyrah 6 1 24 0; A U Rashid 21 3 61 4; Rafiq 5 0 15 0.