Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire: Missing pair’s absence is keenly felt by Yorkshire

Not only did both signings represent something of a gamble, with Brooks having experienced injury problems and Plunkett a dispiriting loss of form, but many thought the priority should have been to snap up a quality top-order batsman.

Although concerns surrounding Yorkshire’s batting line-up have yet to be emphatically dispelled, the fact is the club are second in the Championship and someone has invariably stepped up to the mark.

If further vindication of the tactic was required, the Yorkshire hierarchy might just feel it has come here at Scarborough, where the absence of the injured Brooks and Plunkett has exposed a lack of penetration in the back-up bowling.

As Nottinghamshire lifted their first innings total from an overnight 177-2 to 443 all-out, Yorkshire responding with 29-3 to put the pitch into appropriate context, how the home side must have wished they had one or both of those men at their disposal.

Brooks – ironically injured once again, but hopeful of a return to action later this month after a broken left thumb – tops the club’s Championship averages with 15 wickets at 16.80, while Plunkett, who hopes to return for Sunday’s YB40 game against Leicestershire following a thigh injury, has captured 14 wickets at 25.71.

Without their firepower, and in the ongoing absence of England’s Tim Bresnan, Yorkshire’s support bowling is more purposeful than piercing.

That was backed up by the fact that of the six wickets to fall to seam bowlers in 117 overs, five were taken by the new ball pair of Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson, the former as timeless as North Marine Road itself and the latter as reliable as an old grandfather clock.

It was not until the introduction of Sidebottom and Patterson and the arrival of the second new ball that Yorkshire made the breakthrough yesterday, which came 50 minutes into the morning session.

Patterson had opening-day centurion Michael Lumb caught at second slip by Adam Lyth for 135, accrued from 264 balls with 14 fours.

Prior to Lumb’s departure, which left Nottinghamshire 
210-3 and ended a stand of 109 in 41 overs between himself and James Taylor, Rich Pyrah and Adil Rashid had toiled without reward since the start of the day.

Not that Rashid deserved such a fate; after 20 minutes, he had Taylor dropped on 15 at short-leg by Alex Lees, a chance the young batsman would have expected to take.

Only 13 runs trickled during the first half hour as Pyrah and Rashid kept things tight, the leg-spinner giving the ball plenty of air from the Peasholm Park end.

Taylor, who resumed on 12, did not score his first boundary until his 110th ball – and that from a leading edge off Sidebottom that flew away through point.

Nottinghamshire scored 65-3 in the morning session from 30.5 overs – testament to the accuracy of the bowling and the fact that there was life in the pitch.

Extra bounce was always a factor from the Trafalgar Square end, something Patterson exploited as well as anyone, and runs were hard to come by in the glorious sunshine.

Nottinghamshire’s progress was also checked by the loss of two wickets on the stroke of lunch.

Moin Ashraf produced a fine ball from the Peasholm Park end that found Samit Patel’s outside edge and looped to Lyth at second slip before Patterson trapped Taylor lbw, ending an innings of 38 from 148 balls.

Yorkshire managed one bowling point and Nottinghamshire two batting points, the visitors reaching 262-5 at the 110-over cut-off mark.

They lost their sixth wicket on 275 when Chris Read flashed hard at Sidebottom and was superbly caught by the diving Andy Hodd.

It heralded a sparkling stand between Steven Mullaney and Paul Franks, which realised 87 in 17 overs.

Mullaney, who struck five fours in nine balls off Pyrah, went to his fifty from 68 deliveries and celebrated by lofting Rashid for six.

Franks, one of county cricket’s most dangerous customers, stroked three successive fours off Ashraf before surviving a chance on 26 when he was dropped at slip by Lyth off Rashid.

The partnership ended tamely when Mullaney, moments after swatting another straight six off Rashid, scooped him up to short-leg after scoring 79 from 97 balls.

Franks, who reached his half-century with a six over square-leg off Pyrah, progressed to 70 before slapping Rashid to mid-on.

Ajmal Shahzad, playing against his former club, lofted Lyth for six over long-on before perishing attempting to repeat the feat, the innings ending when Rashid had Harry Gurney caught and bowled.

When Yorkshire replied, Gurney had Lyth caught at second slip, Luke Fletcher pinned Lees and then had nightwatchman Patterson caught behind off a pearler.