The weather appears to be set fair, so a crucial two days ahead for Yorkshire. If, as expected, Warwickshire pick up 22 points today and Sussex 12, anything less than a win for Yorkshire will see us relegated. Warwickshire will be safe, Sussex and Hants will have 3 games left and a game in hand on us, also Hants still have Worcestershire left to play. We will very likely be the only side this season in the CC not to have beaten Worcestershire at least once.
I see Kabir Ali has asked to be allowed to leave Worcester. Gets more than his fair share of wickets in a very poor side.
Things looking tough at Worcester, they've apparently stopped building work due to lack of funds and say they can't afford an overseas signing next year.
Another grim struggle to save a match, rather than assert ourselves. Again Yorkshire failed to win a key session, and Notts rally from 168-5 to 350 plus.
I hate to say it, but this team deserves to be demoted. They've wasted so many opportunities and bottled it at nearly every turn.
Why is McGrath still in the side despite his appalling form? Why is Rudolph still opening when he is needed to shore up a brittle early middle order? Why is Pyrah playing over Rafiq? What's happened to Hoggard? When did Kruis last bowl a winning spell?
Funny how things go quiet on this forum when we're doing well. Having followed the forum all season, I've noted the way some people have convinced themselves - and have tried to convince others - that Rudolph should be batting down the order, despite all the evidence that we've got an opening pair who are happy to bat at Numbers 1 and 2 and are working much more successfully together than previous partnerships Yorkshire have tried. Perhaps those who have sniped so frequently at our Director of Cricket will give some credit where credit is due?
Excellent start to the day. What would we give for converting a half century start into a rare century opening stand and a significant contribution from the captain!
It is going to take some winning from here. At our current scoring rate, even if we are not bowled out it will be lunchtime tomorrow before we can even think of declaring. 2.5 an over (our rate so far in this match) only puts us about 200 ahead by lunch tomorrow leaving only 64 overs remaining, obviously not enough time to bowl Notts out. I think their lead on first innings is to much for us now to win the match.
A great fight-back by the lads. And two excellent opening partnerships as a bonus. With some acceleration, Yorkshire could be in a position declare and set Warwickshire a tempting target tomorrow. But we will have to put up 125 or so in the last session.
A great days play from the lads but I can't help thinking the "fag packet" will say bat until lunch tomorrow and set them a target of about 350. No doubt Notts will get to 150-1 before the close.
I shouldn't be negative after Joe and Jacques' fantastic performance today but I can't see this being anything but a draw with our scoring rate for both innings.
A good day today with excellent contributions from Jacques and Joe! Weather looks ok for tomorrow, so another 120 runs or so in the morning and then go for it after lunch. Wainwright to get a 5-for, Shahzad to get 3 and the lads to bowl them out by 4.45p.m.!
Just back from Trent Bridge. A cool and grey day and a wicket that seems to have flattened out.
I have nothing but praise for the application of Rudolph and Sayers. They stuck tenaciously to the task before lunch and gradually blossomed as the day wore on. Sayers began with some of his typical pushes to leg from a crouching posture and developed his off-side game as the innings matured. He was never a dominant force but must have been a depressing presence for the Notts attack, which was somewhat plain throughout a thankless day for them. Sayers made very few errors - I remember an ill-advised and unlikely pull shot off Pattinson and a few plays and misses at the beginning of his innings. He is not a pretty sight on the whole but my goodness he can be very tough to dislodge. It would have been easy today to have crumpled - a lead of 96 looked very formidable. We didn't crumple! Spirit is good and there is hope for us. Rudolph batted splendidly and with real elan after tea. I don't remember a chance and scarcely a false shot. He may not be an opening batsman in the eyes of many of us - but he gave a good impression of one today at Trent Bridge.
The early exchanges were depressing - Franks and Ealham looked, for a short while, as if they might take the game way out of our compass. Shahzad looked discosolate; I was delighted to see Sayers taking time out to encourage him and keep him going. Something to note for the future - if and/or when we consider a new captain.
We had to take great care initially and as a result it was after tea before the scoring rate rose above three. On an absolutely perfect day we might have scored 300 by close of play. However, I was very satisfied and feel confident we can save the game. I'm not sure victory is within our compass; the wicket was very placid in all honesty. However, we might be in a position to declare at lunch 300 or so ahead and have a couple of sessions at them. I'm nervous of that though because of my memory of the Taunton disaster. Notts are a good batting side and have to win to stay in the Championship hunt. Still - fortune favours the brave; a win here tomorrow and our situation is much, much more comfortable. There is plenty for McGrath and Moxon to contemplate over their cocoa and biscuits tonight.
A final point. There were a number of very curmudgeonly and sour Nottingham members where I was sitting. Blinkered and prejudiced, they seemed to be blaming us for not scoring quickly enough to give Nottingham a target. They had little or no appreciation of Yorkshire's perspective on the match and were discourteous in their pointed lack of appreciation for Rudolph's hundred. That they cursed Sayers for a bore and a spoiler is to Joe's immense credit. The size of the crowd was pitiful considering what Nottingham were playing for - maybe 500;maybe a bit less.
I went home happy, which is more than most of those at Trent Bridge today. I'd like to go tomorrow but the lawn needs a trim and she-who-must-be-cherished wouldn't be pleased!
And an excellent day's play.
But my oh my! When are Moxon and Mags ever going to see sense about our opening partnership. We go into every game handicapped before we even start - surely it's obvious to everyone now that Sayers and Rudolph will NEVER make an opening partnership that can do justice to the White Rose tradition. Yet again we were blighted by an opening stand of ONLY 244. Quite pathetic - Rudolph threw his wicket away agin for a mere 149 runs - everyone knows he'd be scoring at least 300 every innings if he was coming in lower down the order...
(With apologies.....)
Sounds like a great day with a reversal of fortunes due to our opening stand. You could argue that rudy has grown into the openers role through plenty of practice but it would still be more reassuring to know we have him "still to come" after our usual opening failure and single figure dismissal of mags. So do we stick or twist tomorow? With warks winning then perhaps we have to be brave and go for victory. Come on the bowlers!
Earlier in the season it would have been batting practise and a tame draw.
Now i'm not so sure. It was interesting to note that mags and Read left the field together deep in conversation - possibly about local pie shops - but perhaps some sort of deal is in the making. We could certainly set them 300 in two sessions but we aren't going to get them out unless they really make a go at it and get into trouble. The pitch looked completely lifeless - in fact it was somehting of a surprise when we got their last three wickets so quickly (if not cheaply).
Ajmal looked very grumpy in the field - not sure if he 's injured - but I have to correct an earlier poster - it was Andrew Gale who went to encourage him and not sayers. The bowler looked to be in disagreement with Mags who was keeping his distance.
Thanks also to Dpressed for recommending an alternative pub after my last visit. I followed a motley band of Yorkshire stalwarts (inlcuding dpressed himself - if he's the chap i think he is - wearing a sun hat and horizontally striped jumper?) to a wonderful real ale pub serving excellent food.
The facillities in Trent Bridge - especially in the pavillion - are dreadful and very outdated.
This was a great day of Autumnal cricket. if you go tomorrow - wrap up warm...
Thanks for the reports everyone. I've had three premonitions about this match: 1) that Wainwright would make runs; 2) that Sayers and Rudolph would put on a double-century stand; and 3) that Hoggard and Wainwright would bowl Yorkshire to victory.
I suppose two out of three wouldn't be bad.