Yorkshire v Sussex: Sidebottom fights lone battle as Yorkshire toil by sea

Sussex had slipped to 27-3 after choosing to bat and Yorkshire were in charge of this relegation tussle.

Come 6.08pm when stumps were drawn, Rudolph knew only too well the problems experienced by injured club captain Andrew Gale.

Yorkshire have struggled all season to bowl sides out – a pattern that resurfaced on the opening day of the 125th Scarborough Festival as Sussex rallied to reach 335-5.

A captain is only as good as the effectiveness of his bowlers and, Ryan Sidebottom apart, Yorkshire lacked penetration.

The left-arm pace man claimed all three wickets during that dramatic opening salvo and finished with outstanding figures of 20-9-32-4.

Collectively, Yorkshire displayed plenty of huff and puff but not enough wind to blow the house down.

Propelled by their captain Michael Yardy (126 not out) and wicketkeeper Ben Brown (108), visiting Sussex registered a total that had looked far beyond their compass during those formative exchanges.

Of course, it is too much to expect Rudolph or anyone else to conjure a successful formula out of thin air as Yorkshire approach the end of a challenging campaign.

The loss of Gale for the rest of the summer with a fractured right forearm is clearly a blow they could have done without, but does not detract from the wider issue that they have struggled to take 20 wickets consistently.

They did not bowl particularly well or particularly badly yesterday in favourable batting conditions; indeed, they served up something of a mixed bag.

But with Ajmal Shahzad absent with an ankle injury, Sidebottom was the only one who looked consistently threatening, his figures standing out as surely as a belch at the dinner table.

The 33-year-old was soon into his stride when he trapped Chris Nash lbw for 10 in the fifth over to leave Sussex 15-1, the batsman perhaps a touch unfortunate that umpire Trevor Jesty did not deem the ball to be drifting down leg-side.

Sidebottom produced a beauty next ball when he got one to shape away from Luke Wells, who edged into the safe hands of Anthony McGrath at second slip.

Murray Goodwin, who took 274 not out off Yorkshire at Hove in May, kept out the hat-trick delivery but managed only seven before Sidebottom sent him packing.

Pushed onto the back foot, Goodwin was unable to cope with another good ball which also ended up with McGrath at second slip.

Sidebottom’s opening spell of 3-7 from seven overs gave Yorkshire the upper hand but Ed Joyce and Yardy stabilised the innings.

They had added 63 in 18 overs when Joyce fell on the stroke of lunch, caught behind for 45 off the persevering Rich Pyrah after facing 78 balls and striking seven fours.

Yorkshire were impressive in the first few overs after lunch.

They stifled the scoring and drew the odd false stroke from Yardy and Brown, who did not appear impregnable at the start of their partnership.

Indeed, it seemed eminently realistic that Yorkshire could eject the visitors for a total in the region of 250, but bad habits crept in as the afternoon progressed, with a number of deliveries hurtling to the boundary.

While Yardy dropped anchor, content to pick off singles, Brown sought to attack at every opportunity.

There were times when the 22-year-old looked as though he might spoon up a catch through over-exuberance but his stroke-play, for the most part, was exquisitely timed.

One delicious square-drive off the back foot off Steve Patterson was a particular highlight, the ball racing to the foot of the popular bank.

Having reached fifty from 71 balls, Brown needed only 53 more deliveries to post his hundred – his fourth in only his 18th-first class match.

Somewhat incongruously, he achieved the milestone with an edged four off leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who struggled to make an impact, although the pitch is already starting to turn.

Yardy, who flew home from the World Cup in March suffering from depression, and who continues to battle the illness, reached his own hundred from 242 deliveries with eight fours.

Barely had he done so than Sidebottom removed Brown with the fifth delivery with the second new ball, the batsman flashing outside off-stump and edging behind.

It ended a stand of 198 in 54 overs – not quite on a par with Michael Carberry and Neil McKenzie’s mammoth 523 partnership in Yorkshire’s last Championship game at Hampshire – but of similar irritation.

As the 5,000 crowd thinned towards day’s end, Sidebottom strove manfully but in vain for his fifth victim.

He has not yet had a five-wicket haul since his return to Yorkshire but deserves one here for his tireless endeavour.