Day 2 Report: Yorkshire v Warwickshire by John Ward

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Scorecard:	Yorkshire v Warwickshire
Event:	LV County Championship 2013

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DateLine: 3rd August 2013

 

John Ward at Headingley, day 1
Close of play: Yorkshire (302) v Warwickshire (221/8).

 

The championship aspirants Yorkshire looked a better team than the reigning champions Warwickshire on the second day of their vital match at Headingley. Warwickshire batted throughout the day, but so hard did they have to fight against the very determined Yorkshire seam attack that they only just passed 200 and had just two lower-order wickets in hand. Their innings was held together by 88 from Laurie Evans when nobody else reached 25. For Yorkshire Liam Plunkett took four wickets, which could just as easily have fallen to Ryan Sidebottom or Steve Patterson, who both bowled superbly.

 

It was a largely sunny morning at Headingley, with some breeze and after a dry day rather less green on the pitch, although it did give a little help to bowlers who worked hard. Again there were well over a thousand spectators, although not as many as on the first day. Yorkshire resumed at their overnight score of 294 for nine, and immediately gained a bonus when, going for a quick single, they received an additional four overthrows due to a quite unnecessary throw at the stumps by Ateeq Javid.

 

The 300 was passed, but then Jack Brooks swing at a bouncer from Boyd Rankin, edged it to the keeper and departed for 18, with the total 302. Patterson was unbeaten with 21. The Warwickshire seamers shared the wickets, with three each to Keith Barker and Chris Woakes, and two apiece to Rankin and Riki Clarke.

 

Yorkshire opened their bowling with Sidebottom and Brooks, who made Warwickshire fight for their runs. The opening pair struggled to 13, when Ian Westwood (7) shuffled across his stumps and was trapped lbw by Sidebottom. His partner Varun Chopra was close to lbw against Brooks in the next over. Sidebottom in particular produced some fine deliveries as the batsmen continued the struggle. The next to go was Will Porterfield, who continued his poor run of form, scoring only 9 before he edged a ball moving away from him to the keeper, in Plunkett’s first over, making the score 36 for two after 14 overs.

 

Laurie Evans had only scored a single when he very nearly played a ball from Plunkett on to his stumps, and this proved to be a most fortunate stroke of luck for his team. He often looked shaky, particularly early in his innings, but he hung in there and from time to time unleashed some good strokes, particularly drives. Patterson, nagging away, took the next wicket, moving a ball in to Chopra and trapping him lbw for 23, the score now being 50 for three.

 

It became Yorkshire’s morning when Tim Ambrose (0) was beaten by a rising ball from Patterson, which flew off the edge of his bat and Adam Lyth, at second slip, took a very good overhead catch. Warwickshire were reduced to 50 for four, and five runs later came the lunch interval, with Evans on 14 and Woakes yet to score.

 

The afternoon session saw a determined fightback by Warwickshire, as the Yorkshire bowling tired a little at times but generally still performed well. The batsmen took the score to 95 before Woakes drove a ball from Plunkett uppishly and straight to short extra cover, departing for 21. Clarke also dug himself in with some determination, while Evans fought his way to his fifty, which came off 101 balls. They survived a particularly good spell of bowling from Sidebottom, and even managed to carry the attack back to him as he tired.

 

This stand was causing Yorkshire some concern but, just before tea, Clarke suddenly had a rush of blood to the head, as he aimed a terrific blow across the line at a good-length ball from Adil Rashid and was plumb lbw for 24. The score was now 150 for six, and it was the first wicket for a spinner in the match. Both the wickets in the afternoon fell to batsmen who had reached the twenties but then played one attacking stroke too many instead of digging in for a major score. Tea was taken at 152 for six (Evans 64), and it came almost twenty minutes late due to a poor Yorkshire over rate.

 

After tea the Yorkshire bowlers pulled out all the stops, with Patterson and Rashid in tandem, drying up the runs and forcing the batsmen to fight for survival. Ateeq Javid dug in like a limpet, offering scarcely an attacking stroke, while Evans had to be content with occasional runs. He reached 88, and then his patience snapped; he aimed an ill-advised pull at a ball from Plunkett, who had replaced the superb Patterson, and skied a catch; Warwickshire 182 for seven.

 

The normally aggressive Barker arrived at the crease and the war of attrition continued, with Yorkshire taking the second new ball with Warwickshire on 196 for seven. It soon brought the wicket of Javid, who was tempted into a pull and edged a ball from Plunkett to the keeper for 17, which took him 74 balls. The scoring almost came to a standstill now, apart from an edge through the slips by Barker that took the score past 200.

 

He and Jeetan Patel then showed a more positive spirit and made some useful runs before the close, when Warwickshire finished on 221 for eight, 82 runs behind Yorkshire. The home county finished the day with an advantage, but may have to work hard to keep ahead on the third day.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2013 John Ward)