Like most other things Roses cricket is not like it used to be. Lancashire were upset to be without Anderson (injured) and the ever improving Livingstone (on England Lions duty) but of course Yorkshire spend most of their season without five first choice players on England duty. The visitors were also reinforced by three overseas players in Chanderpaul, Vilas and McLaren whereas Yorkshire just have one - the Australian Handscomb, not that we really need him in my humble opinion.
To all intents and purposes the match was over on the first day which was delayed until lunchtime by rain. When play did eventually start Yorkshire's battery of pace bowlers were soon among the wickets. Sidebottom and Brooks back together as the opening pair had Coad and Bresnan in support and they proved rather too effective for a struggling Lancashire, who perhaps regretted their decision to bat first before the rains came.
Sidebottom took the first wicket to dismiss wicket keeper Davies and then had Procter caught behind by Hodd first ball. Skipper Croft survived the hat trick ball and then stayed around with Hameed who did so well for England in the winter. The young man batted watchfully for an hour, only scoring nine runs, but the introduction of Ben Coad proved his undoing and he too was caught behind. Lancashire then 33-3 and soon it was 44-4 when Coad struck again having Procter lbw for 16.
The advent of the two overseas stars Chanderpaul and Vilas suggested a recovery was on the cards but not so. Coad's accuracy and movement off the pitch saw them both removed very rapidly and Lancashire were really on the ropes at 48-6. He like Sidebottom was on a hat trick, but Clark survived. At this point I sent a text to one of my Lancashire friends who I had already met on the ground earlier. He told me he was not impressed by Coad at Old Trafford recently, so I asked him if he had changed his opinion now!
A slight recovery set in with thirty runs each for McLaren, the second South African, and Parry but when Sidebottom returned to get rid of McLaren lbw and Coad dismissed the last two Bailey and Parry it was all over and Lancashire wee all out for a paltry 123. Hero of the hour yet again was Ben Coad, who has done so well already this season, with career best figures of 6-25. Sidebottom showed that he is still good value and really up for the challenge with 3-30.
Yorkshire lost Lees and Handscomb before the close, but finished in a comfortable position on 93-2 with Lyth looking good on forty not out. Skipper Gary Ballance who has been full of runs this season was also not out so the prospects of a big lead for the home side looked very good indeed, particularly as the Lancashire bowling attack, without Anderson, looked rather thin to say the least.
I did not see the remainder of the match but needless to say Yorkshire won comfortably by ten wickets on the third day after dismissing Lancashire for 209 in their second innings. Adam Lyth was the batting hero with exactly 100 made very patiently in over five hours, which was something more like the famous Roses matches of old.
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