Yorkshire v Somerset: Yorkshire frustrated in battle to avoid relegation

THIS was one of those frustrating end-of-season days.

The tarpaulin covers were on one minute and off the next – a bit like a teenage relationship – and rain was never too far away.

Only 41 overs were possible as Yorkshire’s final game of the summer began on a rather soggy note.

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In between the showers, Somerset made 140-3 after being sent into bat beneath glowering skies that occasionally gave way to bursts of sunshine.

On a day heavy with the feel of approaching autumn, Yorkshire were thus frustrated in their efforts to build a match-winning platform.

They need to win this game to have any chance of avoiding relegation – an aspiration that is about as likely as Lord Lucan suddenly turning up on board Shergar.

Second-bottom Yorkshire went into the day 15 points adrift of safety and, owing to events elsewhere, ended it a further point behind.

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Third-bottom Worcestershire claimed two bowling points for reducing Sussex to 289-8 at New Road, while bottom club Hampshire – five points behind Yorkshire at the start of play – closed to within four points by leaving Lancashire 337-7 at Liverpool.

Of course, all Yorkshire can do, as the coaches would say, is control the controllables.

There is no point worrying about events elsewhere if they do not win this fixture – and win it handsomely to boot.

The size of Yorkshire’s task is highlighted by the fact that, even were they to gain a maximum 24-point win here, they would still need a minor miracle to survive.

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Yorkshire would be demoted in that event if Worcestershire managed just 10 points from their final two games, with the West Midlands club concluding their campaign against Durham at Chester-le-Street starting on Monday.

Although the weather deprived Yorkshire of valuable game-time yesterday, they still made a good attempt to influence their own destiny in the limited amount of cricket possible.

Moin Ashraf took two wickets and Ajmal Shahzad one as Yorkshire generally bowled well after Joe Sayers won the toss.

Ashraf, who put in a fine shift against Warwickshire last week, is a 19-year-old of high potential.

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It has not quite happened for him this year after he burst on the scene last summer with nine wickets in the final two Championship games – including a five-wicket haul against Kent in the corresponding match of last season.

This is only his sixth Championship appearance of the year – he took seven wickets in the previous five – but Ashraf clearly has something about him, while his loose-limbed action is pleasing on the eye.

After Shahzad made the first breakthrough by bowling Arul Suppiah with the total on 14, Ashraf took his wickets with the final ball of his ninth over and the first delivery of his tenth.

First, he knocked back the off stump of Chris Jones to end a second-wicket stand of 72 in 25 overs with Alex Barrow.

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Then he cleaned up the dangerous James Hildreth for a duck as Somerset slipped to 88-3 in the 34th over.

Jos Buttler kept out the hat-trick ball but was almost dismissed later in the over as Ashraf achieved some lovely shape.

Not for nothing, however, has Buttler earned his own reputation as a promising young cricketer, the 20-year-old playing some delightful strokes on his way to an unbeaten 43 from just 37 deliveries.

Barrow did not always give the impression of permanence – he was rapped on the pads a couple of times and mistimed one or two strokes along the way.

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But in the absence of Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick, who has an ankle injury, Barrow did a good job as he fought through to an undefeated 55 from 115 balls.

Yorkshire lost their way a touch before rain brought about a premature conclusion with 14 overs still to be bowled.

Buttler and Barrow were able to score 52 in just eight overs as the ball disappeared to the boundary a tad too often for Sayers’s liking.

But on a day when play did not begin until 2.15pm, both teams had their good and not-so-good moments.

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In addition to Ashraf’s contribution, one of the most encouraging things for Yorkshire was the performance of Shahzad.

The 26-year-old has struggled for consistency in recent times and been plagued by a troublesome ankle injury.

But he got the ball rolling here with a fine spell first-up from the Kirkstall Lane end during which he was decidedly unfortunate not to take more than one wicket.

No one played Shahzad with anything resembling confidence, with a couple of Chinese cuts flying agonisingly past the stumps.

Shahzad prospered by bowling a full length and also gained appreciable movement back into the right-hander.

When he gets it right, he remains a top-class performer.