Tykes close gap at the top
YORKSHIRE moved to within five points of Specsavers County Championship leaders Middlesex after wrapping up a resounding 305-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.
Knowing a victory was needed to keep pace at the top of the table in what was their game in hand on their main title rivals, the White Rose county backed up Gary Ballance’s decision not to followon on Wednesday by securing the win early in the afternoon session.
They needed just 34.3 overs to claim the final seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 146 chasing 452 to win and leave their own hopes of survival in Division One hanging in the balance.
They remain rooted bottom to the bottom of the table with three matches to play while Yorkshire stay second and well in the hunt for a third successive Championship title.
Despite heavy rain for much of the evening on the east coast, play got under way on time thanks in no part to the decision to transport the club’s ‘Blotter’ from Headingley to North Marine Road in the early hours of the morning.
The machine spent two hours drying the outfield, and Tim Bresnan was soon reaping the rewards as he had Tom Moores (41) caught by Adam Lyth at second slip from just the fourth ball of the morning.
Jos Buttler admits England’s cricketers are in unfamiliar territory as they weigh up whether to tour Bangladesh this autumn, though director of cricket Andrew Strauss is “very confident” in the security arrangements.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that the tour, comprising two Tests and three oneday internationals in Dhaka and Chittagong, would proceed as planned despite the heightened threat of terrorism, but individual players will be given the chance to withdraw.
A meeting was held with the ODI squad plus Test captain Alastair Cook prior to that announcement, with ECB security expert Reg Dickason, director of cricket operations John Carr and David Leatherdale of the Professional Cricketers’ Association presenting the findings of their recent factfinding trip to the country.
Strauss hopes for full availability but players will be given breathing space to consider the report before deciding whether to take part.
Wicketkeeper Buttler, ahead of today’s second one-day international against Pakistan, gave the impression no conclusions had been reached inside the dressing room.
“It was a positive meeting with lots of information to digest,” he offered.
“As a player you felt there was a great duty of care from the board and a lot has been considered, which was put across to the players.”