MATCH FACTS June 6-9 Yorkshire vs Sussex Headingley Carnegie Start time: 11:00 PREVIEW: Yorkshire will be looking to transfer their successful T20 performances to the County Championship where they haven't won in 13 matches. Sussex are also off to a poor start in the CC and currently languish in 7th place, 4 points adrift of the Tykes. Yorkshire welcome back Matthew Hoggard and Joe Sayers as they return to County Championship duty. The Tykes are also hopeful that wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy will be fit after a hand injury. Key spinner Adil Rashid is away on England duties. TEAMS: Yorkshire (from): McGrath, Rudolph, Vaughan, Sayers, Gale, Lyth, Bresnan, Shahzad, Guy, Naved, Hoggard, Wainwright, Patterson, Kruis Sussex (from):

Anthony McGrath leads the CC averages with 437 runs @ 109.25 BBC Radio: Link Headingley Carnegie ground guide: Link Weather: Link Yorkshire CC form guide (Most recent last) D D D D D League table: Link Yorkshire averages: Link Sussex averages: link Sussex website: Link Yorkshire's all-time CC record vs Sussex: P 165 W 66 T 0 L 29 D 70 Stats & Trivia: The highest individual score against Sussex is JT Brown's 311 at Bramall Lane in 1897 Next Match : June 11-14 | CC: Yorkshire vs. Somerset (Headingley)

Are we to assume that Bairstow - and indeed Joe Root - aren't even in the squad?
I'd certainly have them around in order to emphasise to them both that they're in serious consideration for selection. If Brophy isn't fit, it is the perfect opportunity to give Young Bluey a go - I'd back him to get more runs than Simon Guy....

back to the proper game. unfortunateley like my pals involved with league cricket i will miss the first 2 days. the weather forecast is a bit dodgy as well, i hope the drainage system behaves.

Guys fans on here keep saying how he gets runs in the 2nds but not the firsts - cannot recall him ever getting a double century however!

Sayers
Rudolph
Vaughan
Mags
Gale
Bairstow (if Brophy not fit)
Bresnan
Naved
Wainwright
Patterson (or Shahzad or Kruis)
Hoggy

Don't think Bresnan should be as high as 6 which he would be if we played Guy instead of Brophy

Agree that the forecast is not great and with our inability to bowl sides out twice it`s already looking like a draw. However, Sussex will be weakened - no Arafat, World Cup duties, no Luke Wright, no Nash who broke a leg last week when colliding with his own player whilst fielding.

Given the weather forecast, we'll probably choose four seamers, although none of our bowlers has shone in the CC this season. (An understatement, to say the least!) And I agree with the consensus here: it's time for Bairstow to at least get named in the side. Guy has never had much success in the longer game, and hasn't even appeared in the CC this season.

it seems nash only suffered severe bruising and he hopes to be fit for the yorkshire game.

Kruis HAS to play - he's our best bowler this year in all competitions. Let's see Hoggard/Naved/Kruis/Bresnan as the seam attack. If we want to bowl sides out twice - what about bringing in Rafiq? He's a more attacking option than Wainwright, and he's been bowling well in the Seconds.
Bairstow behind the stumps, and batting from Gale/Rudolph/Mags/Vaughan and Sayers. That's a good blend of youth and experience.
Let's try and win a game before we concentrate on not losing one...

bairstow has not been named in the squad at the top of this thread, but then neither has brophy despite stating they are hopeful he will be fit. by the way everyone is clamouring for bairstow, why not joe root on weight of runs scored/

rooting for Root?

if he could keep wicket as well then we may well be clamouring for him. However not sure who else we would leave out

I would go for Sayers, Rudolph, Vaughan, Mags, Gale, Bairstow (unless Brophy is fit), Naved, Bresnan, Shazad, Hoggard, Rafiq.

Why would you leave out Kruis?
If you must include Shahzad I'd be tempted to leave out Naved who is very much a one day specialist...

It is difficult to pick between the two, both Shazad and Kruis would be ideal but Naved also needs to play as he can come on and get 2 or 3 wicket quickly when games are drifting away as he has done in the past. Shazad just gets the nod for me as he is just that bit quicker and is a better batsman but it is a tough call.

I'm starting to see Kruis more as a one-day specialist. He has 4 wickets at 56 in 3 matches in the CC, so he certainly doesn't deserve a place on merit. T20 and CC bear no resemblance to one another wahtsoever in terms of judging form.

Deon bowls himself into the form of his life and you decide to drop him????
I appreciate he wasn't at his best in the earlier CC games, and I can see the difference between 20/20 and four day bowling, but surely one of the lessons we need to learn is to pick players when they're playing well. Form may indeed be temporary - all the more reason to make the most of our players when they've got some!

We've gone nearly a full season without a win in the CC. Obviously, we either don't have a strong enough 4-day side or we are fielding the wrong mix of players. I think, it is probably a bit of both.

Certainly, we lack a genuine strike bowler. Hoggy is on the downside of his career, both in terms of his performance and in his loyalties to the team; Naved is only effective for very short spells, when he is not injured; and the likes of Kruis and Patterson, smack of county trundlers, at best. Neither, is ever going to win a CC match for us. Guy is a competent wiki (and like me was born in Rotherham), but the chance of him putting up a winning knock is virtually nil. (in 50 first class innings he as one fifty!) Besides he is now 30 years old, and is unlikely to improve.

It is time for a more pro-active, positive approach to choosing the side. Shahzad must be given an extended run, and Bairstow is probably ready. In the not-so-distant past, when the Tykes failed, changes were made in short order. Moxen and McGrath seem very reluctant to think outside the box, and to make changes that obviously need to be made.

So Shahzad plays and Patto or Kruis sits. If Brophy can't play, Bairstow should be in the side. Vaughan should bat where it is best for the team (opening) and not where it enhances his England chances; and Hoggy should be dropped if he doesn't start to perform. Lyth should be included, if we don't go with four seamers. With Rashid away on extended drinks carrying duties for England, Wainwright has to play even though he hasn't taken a first class wicket this season - but then, neither has any slow bowler other than Rashid.

Unless, McGrath/Moxon get the selections right, and field the best team in each match, mark my words the Tykes will be demoted this season. You heard it here first.

And how's that for a first post?

Are you Duggie Brown, brother of Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie?

Adil Rashid is in the England side today. He didn't bat, but hopefully he will get the ball at some point.

What people think won't really matter .... tomorrow is going to be a wash out. If we haven't got the drainage fixed that will kill Sunday ... & there will be showers on Monday & Tuesday

Yes I'm a very sad Dpressed

I refuse to believe the weather forecast ever!

It looks like the new drainage system is about to get another test. Hopefully, it will pass muster this time.

Does anyone know if it's been vertically aerated or whatever it was supposed to need? Or has Stewart still got that excuse up his sleeve just in case he needs it...?

From the official site

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

Joe Sayers. Jacques Rudolph, Michael Vaughan, Anthony McGrath (capt), Andrew Gale, Gerard Brophy (wk), Tim Bresnan, Rana Naved, David Wainwright, Deon Kruis, Matthew Hoggard, Azeem Rafiq and Ajmal Shahzad.

SUSSEX SQUAD

EC Joyce, MA Thornely, MH Yardy (capt), MW Goodwin, AJ Hodd, MJ Prior (wk), DR Smith, RSC Martin-Jenkins, OP Rayner, CD Collymore, JD Lewry, RJ Kirtley

This was my clear weekend. No other duties or responsibillities. Two whole days at the cricket. have you see the forecast for tomorrow?
I'm not happy.

Check the webcam or click on the WRF live scores feature and Cricinfo now shows the current weather conditions on the right under match coverage.

I live 2 miles from Headingley and it hasn't rained for over an hour. It p*ssed it down all night though. The maps on the BBC website say no more rain until lunchtime tomorrow.

We get the "Mickey Mouse" cricket out of the way and as soon as the CC starts and we have two full weekend days scheduled we lose both to the rain. Great for the club from a financial point of view and the occasional cricket watchers but not good for the CC fans and members. Unless the weather forecast is totally wrong I think we will not get any play today or tomorrow.

Does anyone know if the outfield drained this time? It's hard to tell by looking at the webcam. The lens appears to be suffering from condensation and the image is no clear.

Is god a domestic 20/20 fan? ... or have the lovers of 'real cricket' upset him/her .......... Dpressed wanders off stage ranting

I'm about 10 miles from Headingley and there's some vague hazy sunshine.
We might get some play - the covers are off - but how's the outfield doing....?

As a Sussex fan I'm surprised to see Kirtley in the twelve. However, he is probably only there in case Lewry doesn't make it. I'm delighted to see that Michael Thornely has at long last been given a chance in 1XI and I just hope he is able to grab this opportunity with both hands.

As for the Yorkshire team, I'm surprised Lyth hasn't been selected as I was very impressed with him and Gale last season. However, Sayers recapturing his form of early 2007 has had something to do with this. Surprised Jonny Bairstow isn't playing ahead of Simon Guy whose batting isn't even close to being as good as Brophy. Also, surprised not to see Joe Root in there. With Rashid away who will be your spinner? Wainwright or Rafiq?

A visit to the webcam indicates that the covers are coming off.

But what about the outfield. Did they drain?

On the webcam it looks as though the umpires (& possibly the captains) are out there .... the YCCC website says a further inspection at 2:30

Apparently Brophy is back in so no Guy.

a quote from the YCC website

We will have play at Headingley Carnegie when none has been possible at any other ground in the north of England...

Is Durham not in the North anymore???

2 hours 50 mins play if no more rain. We have won the toss and will bat.

Rudolph gone for 15.

No Hoggard, Wainwright and Rafiq are both playing.

Vaughan gone for 0.

According to the BBC, Hampshire currently 95-9.

I see Sayers has smashed 5 runs from his 51 balls. At least he's still there, playing himself back into form (hopefully) after the T20.

With Gale our only remaining batsman lets hope he and Mags stick around till tomorrow.

With the rain around this may descend into a bonus point chase.

It already is a bonus points "chase." The weather and Yorkshire's ultra-slow batting will see to that.

I must say Joe Sayers is probably the slowest Yorkshire batsmen in history. It's one thing to occupy the crease, but scoring a few runs is surely the objective. Essentially all he does is eat up the overs and block and block and block. I thought part of the idea of professional cricket was to entertain.

I agree that Joe scores a little too slow for my liking (and possibly for his own good). But it would be a mistake to say his job is to entertain. His job is to help Yorkshire win cricket matches, that needs to be his objective. Yorkshire victories will please members more than defeats laden with fine strokeplay.

In all sports there are the unheralded grafters who appear to play 'ugly', but they are often needed to allow the flair players to do their thing.

His problem is that he goes so slow that he needs to hang around for literally hours and hours just to get a half century. I suspect his confidence isn't helped by getting out for a 2 hour 15.

Just got back - I can't really fault Sayers today... although he possibly could score quicker (and indeed has done this season in the one-dayers) I felt that we could have a collapse on at 19-2, so his 'holding the fort' was vital. McGrath also started off slowly but got into it as the innings went on - two of his fours were glorious shots.

Although Sussex's bowling was economical, I didn't think we looked in that much danger with quite a few balls not having to be played at - I will say though that I've always rated Lewry quite highly.

Hopefully the weather will hold off tomorrow.

With Gale in such good form and Sayers being rather a slow starter, was this not the ideal time to open with them and keep Rudolf for later (4 or 5). Pity Vaughan failed, but hopefully tomorrow will be better weather for batting and a full day's play. Durham already making good headway - should we have fielded?

After tomorrow, we could have Rashid back for the next Championship match.

What about opening with Vaughan, batting McGrath and letting Rudolph slip in at four and leaving Gale at 5?

I admire your optimism re the weather for tomorrow, but according to every forecst I have seen it is going to throw it down in Leeds from 12 noon onwards for the rest of the day.

I doubt very much that this accolade would go to Sayers. He may be a good second, but I find it difficult to believe that he is capable of greater limpet-likebatting than Louis Hall.

I was there today. The umpires seemed determined to keep their feet up for as long a possible. After the 2.30 inspection they told the groundstaff to get the blotter onto a part of the outfield towards the West Stand. Why didn't they ask this an hour earlier? It hadn't rained since 10am.

Play finally got underway at 4.10, and was slow going, as we have heard above. At this rate we will get one batting point before the 120 overs cutoff.

And where was Hoggard???

... I've just checked the website, and he was taken ill earlier in the day. Get well soon Matthew.

Apparently Hoggard was ill before the game - I didn't find this out though until I'd got in.