At five minutes after 3:00 yesterday a revitalised Graham Onions bowled Harry Gurney to ensure that Notts, at that point the only remaining obstacle to Yorkshire's 31st championship, would not get maximum batting points and therefore could not catch the leaders and by this rather indirect means the title was retained, a feat last achieved by Durham in 2010 and last achieved by the men from the broad acres in 1968.
For me, and I think others, winning because somebody takes a wicket 125 miles away is slightly anticlimactic and does not compare with the moment at Trent Bridge 362 days earlier when Sidebottom ended Notts' resistance, but 17 other counties would happily swop places with Yorkshire today and would not care two hoots how it came about.
slight delay at HQ
I had left York station a minute after 7:00 yesterday morning with my neighbour John Gawthrope and we were comfortably seated in the Lord's pavilion, alongside many familiar faces, including Lord Hattersley, well in time for the slightly delayed start and six balls, the like of which I can not recall seeing in over sixty years of watching cricket. Along with Notts, Middlesex began the day knowing that they had a ridiculously slender chance of finishing top for the first time since 1990. If they held such hopes then Sidebottom's first over scattered them to all parts of St John's Wood for by taking wickets with his third, fifth and last delivery he put Middlesex's chances of winning the game about on par with those of Liz Kendall becoming the next PM. At the same time Notts were undergoing an almost equally calamitous start for the first check I made of the score at Trent Bridge showed 7 for 3 and that Rushworth, with his dismissal of debutant Libby, had set a new record* for Durham of 81 championship wickets in a season.
A feature of this season has been that once Yorkshire's attack has its foot on a team it does not let them wriggle free and when Sidebottom was rested, up stepped Bresnan to get rid of the stubborn Robson and three others before Ryan applied the coup de grace. The token over of spin before lunch, a device mainly used to speed up the over rate had been given to Middlebrook, and on this occasion produced a wicket, leaving the spinner with figures of 1-0-4-1. The applause was led by his mum sitting just a row in front.
As I type, 4:00pm Thursday, a sixth wicket stand between Franklin and Compton has added over 50 to put Middlesex's noses in front and those Yorkshire supporters who are intending to be at Lord's tomorrow may just be wishing that this resistance can be prolonged to a point where some play is guaranteed on Friday. Those returning north tonight may be in a more ruthless mood.
I mentioned in my first paragraph that it was at Trent Bridge last year when Yorkshire clinched the title but you may not remember that two years ago Durham won the title, albeit at The Riverside, with a victory over the East Midlanders, as they did in 2010. So those of you who like to say 'I was there' when such momentous events take place might like to follow Notts towards the end of next season. On the other hand it might be safer simply to go to all Yorkshire's matches for who can deny that they are favourites to complete a hat trick of wins in 2016, a feat last achieved by Brian Close's men in 1968.
*previously held by Otis Gibson
No comments:
Post a Comment