Yorkshire happy as a pig in muck as they take control at Scarborough
THE sight of a pig being chased by a butcher across the outfield at North Marine Road on Saturday was not quite the most famous fancy dress interruption that the ground has witnessed.
That came in 2005 when a man wearing an Osama bin Laden face mask and carrying a rucksack on his back disturbed the latter stages of a one-day game - also against Warwickshire - before being ejected, an incident that found its way into Wisden’s annual Index of Unusual Occurrences.
Whether the pig and the butcher are similarly honoured by the almanack remains to be seen; at least theirs was a “respectful” disruption in that it took place while proceedings had been halted during a ball change.
And although no one would condone or encourage pitch incursions, it at least raised a laugh for the 2,193 spectators, most of whom needed an extra layer on this fresh and cloudy day, if not quite - ahem - a pig’s blanket.
Warwickshire could have done with a few laughs given that their predicament at the end of day two was enough to make their fans grunt. They were 225-7 responding to Yorkshire’s first innings 469, still needing 95 to avoid the possibility of being asked to follow-on.
After hitting 83 in just over an hour to advance from their overnight 386-6 and claim maximum batting points, Yorkshire bowled well collectively, Jack White leading the way with 3-39.
Earlier, Jonny Bairstow scored the one run he needed at the start of the day to reach his fifty from 46 balls. He went on to 68 before driving Ethan Bamber to cover, a wicket followed two balls later by that of Dom Bess, who clipped Bamber to mid-wicket.
Hassan Ali struck successive sixes off Ed Barnard towards the Trafalgar Square end, adding 56 for the ninth-wicket with George Hill in 53 balls. Hill made 30 before edging Manav Suthar to slip, then Hassan was bowled by Barnard for 27.
Alex Davies chopped on an attempted cut off White to the eighth ball of the reply, Dan Mousley also playing on to Hassan to leave the visitors 38-2 in the 20th, emphasising Yorkshire’s accuracy.
The pig/butcher incident was swiftly followed by the wicket of Sam Hain, who clipped White to mid-wicket in the next over, a soft dismissal to a tempting half volley.
When Beau Webster fell in almost identical manner to the same bowler, brilliantly caught by a diving Bess, Warwickshire were not so much laughing as crying at 92-4.
Bess then took two wickets in two balls shortly after tea to leave the visitors 146-6.
Rob Yates was bowled off the pad by a well-flighted delivery that ended a good innings of 65 from 158 balls, then Zen Malik pushed at one outside off stump and was smartly caught by wicketkeeper Bairstow.
Barnard and Suthar added 64 in 20 overs, the partnership ending when Suthar advanced to Hill and was caught behind.
Hill spilled Keith Barker at slip off Ben Cliff towards the end, Barnard playing a captain’s hand to finish unbeaten on 60 from 109 balls.