At lunchtime at Headingley yesterday I dared to forecast that Yorkshire would end the day in a position to claim the extra half hour and that there was a very good chance there would be no play today (Thursday). Of course I was only partly right, for by half past five, the one sided contest (ruthless against toothless if I may borrow from Chris Waters in today's Yorkshire Post) was done and dusted when Sidebottom held onto a skier from Ball, Notts' number 11. Only when Broad and Hilfenhaus were swinging the bat did a fourth day look likely and as early as tea time pcws were consulting their dairies for alternative venues for today.
In previewing the match in an earlier posting I used the phrase 'underperforming' to describe Notts and this chastening defeat leaves them bottom of the table, level on points with Hampshire. To his credit their director of cricket, Mick Newell did not come out with the usual flim flam about taking the positives and hitting good areas in his post match interview. Yesterday's poor batting was the result of hitting balls that should be left alone and not hitting those that should be stopped. Not quite in those words but that seems to be the gist of it. Even before they lost a wicket you sensed that the task of batting to at least mid-afternoon on the fourth day to save the game was not one they relished. Any boost to their spirits caused by the capture of Gale and Leaning in the first three overs of the day was soon undone by the Patterson/Bresnan stand and the last five Yorkshire wickets almost doubled their advantage.
Notts have not been slow to tempt players from other counties, leaving aside Taylor (B) and Hilfenhaus (more effective with bat than ball in this match), six of yesterday's team have previously played for other counties and as today's Guardian commented 'The only area in which they edged Yorkshire was in the number of internationals they fielded.' And there is the curious case of Gurney; as recently as December he was playing for England in an ODI, at Headingley on Monday he fielded only because the twelfth man sustained an injury. Another whose star appears to be in descent is acting skipper James Taylor whose fussy captaincy contributed to Notts' poor run rate on Tuesday and after his struggles with the bat all he has to show from this game are three disciplinary points for his dissent when given out for 0 in the first innings.
Newell accepts that they are now very much involved in the struggle to drop in to Division 2 and believes that the two who go down will come from themselves, Worcestershire, Hampshire and Sussex. Little over a week ago he might have included Somerset in those at risk, but their remarkable win against Notts and a nine wicket victory over Hants on Tuesday has lifted them to fifth and done much to overcome their bad start to the season. Notts are next in championship action on Monday when they host Worcestershire. Two teams with a win apiece and just two points between them, could be a bit tense.
Trent Bridge
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