Yorkshire intent on finishing the season on a high

YORKSHIRE’s hopes of winning the County Championship may be over – a detail that will be officially confirmed today unless leaders Durham make a hash of a victory target of 69 against Nottinghamshire or if bad weather intervenes – but their fighting spirit is very much alive.
Yorkshire's Steve Patterson is congratulated on dismissing Joe Denly.Yorkshire's Steve Patterson is congratulated on dismissing Joe Denly.
Yorkshire's Steve Patterson is congratulated on dismissing Joe Denly.

It would have been easy, amid the disappointing news emanating from Chester-le-Street, where Durham are 7-0 in their second innings as they close in on a third title in six years, for Yorkshire’s heads to have dropped at Headingley.

Instead, they were lifted high and proud as they produced a splendid bowling performance to raise hopes of a win that would confirm a second-placed finish in their historic 150th year.

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After scoring an apparently underwhelming 210 in their first innings, collapsing from 109-3 at the start of day two, Yorkshire’s bowlers put that score into perspective by routing Middlesex for 128 before the hosts reached stumps on 4-0, a lead of 86.

No one could deny that Durham will be deserved winners of the Championship crown – assuming they complete the formality of a fifth straight win that included a seven-wicket triumph at Scarborough that turned the title race upside down.

But no one could deny, either, that Yorkshire have given them one heck of a run for their money and that they will have every right to wonder, once the dust has settled in the days and months to come, how the cherished prize managed to slip away from them considering the emphatic nature of some performances this summer.

Durham may have won more matches – currently nine-against-six – but some of Yorkshire’s victories have been so emphatic that they were almost deserving of two wins.

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No matter; it will be at Chester-le-Street where the Championship pennant will be proudly fluttering, Chester-le-Street where the bubbly will be opened and a magnificent achievement warmly toasted.

Yorkshire did not start well yesterday when Jonny Bairstow fell with only eight runs added to the overnight score.

The England man edged Tim Murtagh to first slip and was soon followed back to the pavilion by England hopeful Gary Ballance, whose ambition of being named in the Ashes squad was not assisted by an edge to wicketkeeper John Simpson off Gareth Berg, although Ballance could yet be high in the selectors’ thoughts.

Another three wickets tumbled before lunch as Adil Rashid’s attractive cameo was abruptly curtailed when he was caught behind off Tom Helm, the 19-year-old pace bowler’s maiden first-class wicket.

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Helm’s second wicket arrived with the total on 187 when Kane Williamson was also caught behind having made 52 in almost four-and-a-half hours, an innings that made Joe Sayers look like Virender Sehwag, but which was extremely useful in the context of the game.

Liam Plunkett fell moments before the break when he edged Berg to Ollie Rayner at second slip, Rayner then on hand to take a quite brilliant slip catch away to his left to account for Ryan Sidebottom off Murtagh just after the restart.

Steve Patterson struck 16 from the No 10 position to help Yorkshire to a solitary batting point before he was last man out, edging Murtagh to give wicketkeeper Simpson his sixth catch of the innings.

Patterson was soon excelling in his primary function, having Chris Rogers caught at point and Joe Denly held at second slip as Middlesex fell to 21-2 in the sixth over, Rogers passing 1,000 Championship runs during the course of his brief stay.

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It was great stuff by Patterson, who also claimed the third wicket just after tea when he had Dawid Malan caught behind.

Yorkshire’s bowling attack is not just about one player, however, but a collective force which, at its best, keeps coming at teams from all sides.

This was demonstrated when Jack Brooks picked up from where Patterson left off, removing Sam Robson for the top score of 45 with the help of a catch from Bairstow, who then wrapped his gloves around an edge by Neil Dexter off Sidebottom, who then had Berg caught down the leg side – a rare mediocre ball during a highly impressive afternoon spell by the left-arm pace bowler.

After Brooks had Simpson plumb lbw and Helm caught behind, Sidebottom had Murtagh caught behind to give Bairstow his sixth catch of the innings as the Yorkshire wicketkeeper emulated Simpson’s fine feat.

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Sidebottom wrapped up the innings by having Rayner caught at backward-square by Brooks as Yorkshire sealed a useful lead.

Adam Lyth and Phil Jaques will hope to build on that today, although the weather forecast for both Leeds and Chester-le-Street promises a certain amount of waiting around and twiddling of thumbs.

If the elements should conspire to deny Durham, however, it will only be until tomorrow, when the forecast is a good deal better.