To misquote Louis XV, or even Madame de Pompadour, is perhaps an apt way to start our coverage of the County Championship. The original quote came just before the French Revolution and it is perhaps the coming revolution to English cricket which is preoccupying the world of the professional cricket watchers.
However I will try and avoid all such matters and leave it to the professional wordsmiths to make of it what they will. Here at least I hope we can concentrate on matters on the field of play. It was with some relief that I was able to see the first day's play of Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire at Headingley yesterday, after the complete abandonment of games with Leeds/Bradford University and Essex in recent weeks.
Nottinghamshire, fresh from their crushing defeat of Lancashire at Old Trafford last week, will no doubt be full of confidence and it was inevitable, given all the recent weather problems, that they would invite Yorkshire to bat first without risking the toss of a coin. Given Yorkshire's lack of match practise since their pre-season tour of South Africa, which seems a long time ago now, you did not really fancy their chances against the rampant Notts pace attack of Ball, Fletcher and Gurney.
As we met up with innumerable friends and acquaintances not seen since last season conjecture was rife. Would Yorkshire lose five wickets before lunch or even in some quarters might they be all out before the interval. As usual everyone had his or her opinion. Certainly the good weather had attracted an excellent crowd, but with the new stand under construction at the Rugby ground end, with attended bangs and crashes throughout the day, and the members' Trueman stand half closed due to the siting of the wicket and site screen, everyone seemed jammed in together.
It would surely have been appropriate to open a section of the old Western Terrace for this game, but we are told the cost of stewarding is too great, and it has not been opened for county championship cricket for years. An absolute nonsense which does not seem to effect other county grounds.
However let's get back to the action, which was preceded by a touching minute's applause from players and spectators in memory of Dave Callaghan the long serving BBC cricket commentator who was indeed the voice of Yorkshire cricket.
Lyth and Lees, both trying to recapture their form of the championship seasons, opened for Yorkshire.
Lees, who also failed to make runs for the second team at Old Trafford last week was the first to go, smartly caught by New Zealander Taylor, who has replaced his Zimbabwean namesake, in the slips off Jake Ball. The Indian Test player Pujara, looked to have one or two differences of opinion regarding runs with Lyth, before he was soon palpably lbw to the hostile Luke Fletcher.
Captain Ballance came and went very quickly caught by Samit Patel and it was 37-3 with all out before lunch looking a distinct possibility. However the young hopeful Harry Brook managed to steady the ship somewhat alongside a confident looking Adam Lyth. Brook looked to be well set having played some attractive boundary shots before he was suprisingly clean bowled by Notts fourth seamer Wood.
Lyth was another lbw victim, this time to left armer Gurney for a well made 45. Jack Leaning managed to hang around for quite a while but the real saviour of the day for Yorkshire was wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, who has a good habit of making runs when the side is in trouble. His 62 was the highlight of the innings aided and abetted with a good old fashioned last wicket partnership between Jack Brooks and Ben Coad which added 44 valuable runs. 256 all out was a reasonable total considering the uneasy beginning to the day.
Those who stayed around for the last hour or so really enjoyed the evening sunshine as Brooks again assisted by Coad, carved apart the Notts top order in no time at all. Brooks had Notts skipper Mullaney playing on to his second ball and then in his next over dismissed Nash, the newcomer from Sussex caught by Hodd. From the other end Coad then immediately dismissed Libby lbw and Notts were unbelievably 6-3. Ross Taylor was the only batsman to look comfortable and finished the day on 34 not out, but not before Brooks had also got rid of the dangerous Patel to another lbw decision.
A good day in the end for Yorkshire and hopes were high for another day of success, which hopefully John Winn will report for you after his venture to an eventful day one at the Riverside.
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