Yorkshire on the brink in Birmingham after another poor day

They could do with some of that famous Manchester rain venturing south, perhaps, preferably an entire flood’s worth of it, if they are to escape the same fate as their Roses rivals.

They stagger into day four on 98-5 in their second innings, having been set a frankly absurd 549 to win by Ed Barnard, the Warwickshire captain.

Rather like those who seem to think that football began in 1992 with the advent of the Premier League, Barnard is apparently one of those captains oblivious to the history of the game that he graces.

Only once in the 22,000-plus County Championship matches ever played has a side scored more than 500 to win - Middlesex chasing 502 to beat Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1925.

Records are made to be broken, of course, particularly any that involve Ed Sheeran, Adele or Justin Bieber, but too often now caution is taken to extremes.

Yorkshire, in fact, have never chased more than 404 to win a Championship game – a certain Anthony McGrath scoring an unbeaten hundred to get them over the line at Leicester 21 years back.

The club has only four times chased over 350 - a nod, also, to the fact that the great Yorkshire teams of the past rarely had to climb any fourth innings mountain.

In Barnard’s defence, he was perhaps worried about the presence in the Yorkshire line-up of Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow, as well as the fact batting conditions had eased since the first innings mayhem which saw 20 wickets fall for a combined 299 runs.

Equally, though, Barnard could have been kidnapped by aliens at the close of play wearing T-shirts proclaiming “I Love The Hundred” and whisked away to the Planet Zog – a bit of a long shot, in other words.

Earlier, Barnard actually batted positively as Warwickshire extended their overnight 267-3 to 553-6 before he finally ended Yorkshire’s torment.

The 30-year-old produced the day’s most aggressive innings, in fact, plundering 60 from 46 balls with six fours and three sixes and sharing in a fifth-wicket stand of 98 with Sam Hain, who top-scored with an undefeated 164 from 319 balls with 16 fours, his 20th first-class century.

Barnard pulled Ben Cliff’s first delivery of the day for six and inflicted an identical punishment on Logan van Beek. For their part, Yorkshire had three centurions – Cliff, van Beek, and spinner Dom Bess.

Hain, it must be said, is a fine player to watch - busy but graceful, easy on the eye.

He never really looked like getting out apart from when he tried to push it on a bit before the declaration came; he also shared in partnerships of 116 for the sixth-wicket with Zen Malik, who contributed 57 from 89 balls, and 46 with Jordan Thompson, who enjoyed himself with a brace of sixes off Brook and Bess in an unbeaten 23 from 28 deliveries.

Yorkshire took two wickets in a morning session in Warwickshire added 125 in 28 overs.

George Hill had Beau Webster lbw pushing half-forward, and after reaching his half-century from 38 balls, Barnard pulled van Beek to Cliff at long-leg.

At lunch, Hain had 89 and the only question was whether he or van Beek would get to three figures first.

The answer was van Beek, whom Malik pulled for six with Hain still five runs short of the century mark.

After getting to that hundred from 252 balls, Hain needed only another 50 deliveries for his 150, having by then lost Malik to a lofted catch to Fin Bean at deep cover off Bess.

As sunshine prevailed after a mostly cloudy start, Yorkshire were soon in distress in their notional run-chase.

Bean was lbw driving at Ethan Bamber, who then bowled James Wharton for a duck as he offered no shot.

Bamber claimed another when Adam Lyth was lbw pushing forward as Yorkshire slid to 14-3 in the ninth over.

Matty Revis and Brook steaded the ship with a stand of 59, although Brook had a couple of slices of fortune - not least when a top-edged pull off Barnard resulted in a collision between Malik and Michael Booth in the mid-wicket area as they tried and failed to take the catch.

Both men had to go off – as did Brook soon enough when Thompson accepted a simple return chance, a wicket that he celebrated with what might be called the opposite of restraint.

Barnard also wheeled away in triumph when he bowled Jonny Bairstow, and it should have been 92-6 but Dan Mousley dropped Hill at fourth slip off Webster.

Another poor day for Yorkshire but, hey, at least Lancashire lost.