v Yorkshire LV Championship at Headingley

Day 3

Yorkshire Humiliate Notts

expected Notts crashed to a heavy defeat at Leeds today, losing by an innings and eight runs. It was painful viewing for Notts fans as the Yorkshire attack made mincemeat of the Notts batting line up. The difference in class between the two teams was immeasurable.



Broad who had a fantastic match had Gale leg before early doors. The Tyke captain leg before for 148. The fourth wicket partnership with Jack Leaning had added 251 runs and had effectively won the game for Yorkshire. The new ball was swinging in the humid atmosphere as Broad and Wood were causing problems. Leaning played on the rampant Broad bowling from the Kirkstall Lane End. The young right hander had scored 110, Bairstow had been allowed by the ECB to enter the game on day 3, unlike Rashid and Hales who refused entry. Bairstow got to 15 when he received an in swinging Yorker from Wood which bowled him, 325 for 6.

Broad was replaced by Hilfenhaus but like the day before the Aussie relieved the pressure by not letting the batsman play enough. The seventh wicket had added 43 in nine overs when Hilfenhaus finally got a wicket with Middlebrook edging to Mullaney at slip to depart for 13.

Broad returned with four overs left to gain the two wickets required to gain the last bowling point. Notts failed to make a breakthrough but after lunch Patterson edged Broad to impressive Wessels behind the stumps to leave with 23 to his name, he had added 50 runs with Bresnan. Patterson had been dropped on 9 and 19, Gidman at slip and Taylor at backward point being the culprits.

Brooks hit two fours before edging the unstoppable Broad to Brendan Taylor at slip. Sid was out first ball plumb leg before to Broad as Yorkshire were all out for 430, a lead of 206. Broad had bowled superbly and finished with 26.5 5 84 7, but he received precious little support.

All money was on a 3 day Yorkshire victory and all went to plan for the White Rose. Sidebottom bowling from the Football Stand removed Brendan Taylor with the third ball of the innings, the Zimbabwean playing a poor shot giving a regulation catch to gully.

Mullaney was bowled middle stump off a no ball by Brooks which went for four byes, six runs for Notts. But Mullaney, surely the longest serving make shift opener in the history of the game was caught behind off Sid for nine, 20 for two.

James Taylor looked all at sea during his 33 ball interrogation and surprise surprise was out leg before shuffling across his crease trying to play to leg. Umpire Lloyd raising his finger as Taylor departed for 6, 40 for three.

Lumb played some glorious cover drives but the normally fluent Wessels was struggling. The fourth wicket had added 39 when Wessels edged Bresnan behind to depart for 16.

Gidman finding the step up to the first division very difficult was well caught at point off Brooks for a six ball duck, 88 for 6.

Patel (4) with a string of poor championship scores at Headingley fell to what was the last ball before tea edging Sidebottom to Lees to first slip, 108 for seven.

Wood (12) joined Broad and added 18 before receiving a Jaffa from Sid that came in and removed his middle peg.

Hilfenhaus and Broad had a merry partnership of 60 as Bairstow was struggling behind the stumps missing an easy stumping and letting through byes galore. Having just got to his 50 Broad hit Middlebrook to mid wicket where Gale took an excellent catch. Ball hit Middlebrook for a six into the East Stand but then was caught by that man Sidebottom in front of the football stand as Notts were all out for 198. Sidebottom was the star of outstanding Yorkshire bowling performance with four for 39. Hilfenhaus was 17 not out and Extras got on the honours board with a solid 31.

Notts lie rock bottom of the championship and a defeat on Friday at local rivals Derbyshire would put them at the bottom of the Northern Section of the Twenty/20. The next week of fixtures will be make or break time for them. The returning Hales will be welcomed back with open arms and hopefully Chris Read will also return to the line up soon. Lumb played well today and coupled with an impressive effort at Taunton should strengthen the batting line up in the coming weeks.

The evidence from this match was how good Yorkshire are and how poor the Notts attack is. Yes it was a horrendous toss to lose but Broad and the Yorkshire attack made full use of a good cricket wicket, whereas the rest of Notts bowling was mediocre at best.

Hilfenhaus disappointed once more and he must up his game. The Fletcher situation seems farcical I lost count of the number of Yorkshire members who could not believe he was not in the line up. Gurney has lost confidence after brilliant first half to 2014.

As for the batting after finding a gem in Jaques the DoC is back to square one in finding an opener. James Taylor is so out of form it's painful to watch and Samit is not batting anywhere near potential. Greg Smith with a career average of 28 in Division 2 was signed on the strength on one baseball innings at Grace Road last season and he has struggled to impress at either first or second team level.


Gidman meanwhile has lost confidence striving too hard to up his game in a higher division. What a shame Broad will be missing for the rest of the season after such a brilliant game,

Mick Newell and his Red track suited entourage have a hard task to get things back on the straight and narrow. A win at Derby on Friday would be an excellent pick me up. COME ON NOTTS! MAG
Day 2

Yorkshire take complete control

In another chastening day for Notts, Yorkshire lead by 78 runs with seven first innings wickets still standing. A heavy defeat is on the cards.

 The morning session belonged to Notts as they added a further 55 runs to gain an unexpected batting point. Hilfenhaus chanced his arm and rode his luck hitting five fours and a six over deep mid wicket. Luke Wood looking much more cultured got to an innings high 38 with five fours and a six before being bowled by Brooks. Jake Ball an old style number 11 lasted three balls before being bowled middle stump by Brooks to depart for a duck. Brooks finished with 4 for 56 as Hilfenhaus was left undefeated on 28. Notts 224 all out. 

The cloud cover dissipated between the innings amd the sun came out. Broad got Lyth leg before for a duck off the third ball of the innings. Broad was a handful in bowling a 4 over spell from the Kirkstall Lane End. Ben Hilfenhaus replaced Broad junior and put in a leg slip to the out of form Ballance (14) who fell for the trick clipping the ball to Patel who took an outstanding diving catch, 28 for two. Yorkshire added a further seven runs when lunch was taken. Luke Wood had bowled well from the Football Stand end without a lot of luck. 

Stuart Broad returned after the interval and bowled a peach to remove Lees middle stump, the young left hander gone for 15, 51 for three. Notts were in still the game. Broad had completed another four over spell of outstanding bowling. Unfortunately Hilfenhaus bowled a poor five over burst where he struggled with his line, Gale and Leaning started to find the ropes and the pressure slowly eased. The Tasmanian was also struggling with his run up and the impression gained at Taunton of being yesterday's man was reinforced today with figures of 16 2 59 1. It's still early days but his bowling is not creating a good impression. Hopefully Hilfenhaus' bowling will improve as Notts are running out of matches in order for Notts to avoid the dreaded drop. The Yorkshire members could not believe that he had been preferred to Fletcher who had taken six wickets down in Derby. Fletcher having impressed them in the past. 

Michael Lumb had been off the field all day and sub Matthew Carter appeared to pull his hamstring and limped off too, dreadful news!  Gurney appeared as 13th man with the away fans scratching their heads as to why a more athletic member of the staff was not named as 12th man. The rest of day was painful viewing for green and gold followers, as Gale and Leaning add 251 runs in 62 overs as Notts attack was made to look extremely mediocre. The batting was superb with Andrew Gale, another batsman on the circuit who loves batting against Notts, unbeaten on 144 off 224 balls with 18 fours. Young Leaning the latest off the Yorkshire batting production line got his second ton of the season against Notts with 107 off 168 balls with 14 fours and one six off Patel. Notts took the new ball two overs before the close as Yorkshire closed on 302 for three. The partnership was chanceless as with the sun out batting became much easier. Notts though had trouble with length and line in a below standard bowling performance. Broad performed well and deserved more than two for 55 off 18 overs. Ball and Wood mixed good balls with bad balls. Gidman only bowled five overs and Mullaney was only introduced late on. Titch Taylor spent all day running around the field asking for advice but to no avail. 

Notts are not in Yorkshire's league at the moment, it is the double losses to Somerset that are really hurting them. They desperately need a couple of wins in white ball cricket to gain confidence in the red ball stuff. In a match that is following the pattern of recent meetings with the White Rose, expect Yorkshire to bat to an hour after lunch tomorrow and then bring out the artillery, one gets the feeling that all of a sudden the pitch will regain some of it's lost life. Hold on tight to your hats.... time for someone to step forward and produce an inspirational performance to reignite Notts' season. MAG
Day 1
Yorkshire Dominate Day 1

Yorkshire finished day 1 in a dominant position after another disappointing day for Notts. 

On a cool cloudy Leeds morning Notts lost an important toss and were inserted. James Taylor and Stuart Broad came in for Greg Smith and Matt Carter following the demoralising defeat at Taunton. 

Sidebottom (Football Stand) and Brooks (Kirkstall Lane End) opened up and it was struggle for the visitors with the ball  regularly beating the bat. Brendan Taylor and Steven Mullaney did well to add 43 in 15 overs. Taylor then edged a ball from Patterson, who replaced Sid, off his glove and Lees took the catch at second slip, Taylor gone for 29. 

Lumb got to seven until falling leg before to Bresnan who had replaced Brooks, 52 for two. James Taylor, having horrendous season, fell first ball to Patterson. As ever he was shuffling across his crease and was adjudged caught behind by umpire Junior Bumble. Taylor looked distraught when the finger came up and slammed his bat against the advertising board as he returned back to the Headingley spaceship. Lloyd junior had presumably made a poor decision. 

Riki Wessels looked in reasonable nick and added 27 runs with Steven Mullaney. Sid returned and Mullaney received a brute of a ball that lifted and moved, Hodd caught the edge. Mullaney gone for 28, 80 for four. Notts added another five runs before lunch was taken. 

Samit Patel looked all at sea in his 20 ball innings but was palpably leg before to Jack Brooks for 4 in the first over after lunch, 87 for 5. Will Gidman was leg before to a full toss from, again, Brooks as he departed for four, 109 for six.

Riki Wessels had hit four fours in his 33 before falling leg before to Ryan Sidebottom, 133 for seven. Notts added a further six runs when rain halted play at 1427. 

Play resumed at 1800 and Broad put bat to ball. After a delay due to re taping of his bat Broad fell to the next delivery to great Tyke whoops edging Bresnan to Leaning at slip with 34 to his name, 159 for 8. Broad had his six fours in a breezy 36 ball effort. Shortly afterwards with new Headingley floodlights at full beam the players trooped off. 

After a few irate cat calls from the crowd the umpires decided to restart play nine minutes later. Luke Wood, typically, hit a couple of fours in the nine further balls possible until the players troop came off for light once more at 1836 with Luke Wood on 19 and Ben Hilfenhaus on 1. Notts had reached 169 for eight off 47.3 overs as stumps were drawn. 

Notts are down on their luck at present losing a vital toss against a rampant Yorkshire attack in ideal seam bowling conditions. It was men against boys stuff and with much better weather for tomorrow, expect Yorkshire to further strengthen their grip on this match. MAG

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With no surprises in the Notts squad as Alex Hales, Luke Fletcher and Andai Carter are all off on duty elsewhere, the team to face the Tykes is:


Jake Ball
Stuart Broad
Will Gidman
Ben Hilfenhaus
Michael Lumb
Steven Mullaney
Samit Patel
Brendan Taylor
James Taylor 
Riki Wessels
Luke Wood