Warwickshire v Yorkshire: Day Three (LV= County Championship)

WARWICKSHIRE’S director of cricket Dougie Brown believes Yorkshire are the favourites to win the County Championship after seeing his side fall to another innings defeat to the White Rose yesterday.

Yorkshire, who completed an innings and eightrun win 20 minutes after tea on day three when they bowled the Bears out for 186, consolidated their position at the top.

If Notts beat Somerset today, they will move joint top on 142 points.

Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson took three wickets each yesterday as Yorkshire completed their third innings triumph of the season.

Jack Brooks and 18-year-old left-arm spinner Karl Carver added two apiece.

“They look favourites,” said the Scot. “They have a good method and a good mood in their camp. I have probably just put the mockers on them. Let’s hope I have!

“It’s a very open Championship. They have stolen a bit of a lead, but I have always maintained that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Captain Andrew Gale, particularly pleased with his side’s catching across the three days, admitted that he was “flattered” by Brown’s claim, but stressed the importance of not looking too far ahead.

“There’s still a long way to go,” he said.

“We probably got carried away a little bit last year into thinking about the Championship. There’s still six games left, and I keep hammering home about the basics and process.

“No one has even spoken about the Championship.”

Yorkshire’s performance was a team effort.

The wickets were spread around, and so were the runs. Their standout performer was Aaron Finch with 110 on Monday.

Adam Lyth took two excellent catches at second slip, including a diving effort to his right to help Patterson get rid of Chris Woakes, leaving the score at 133-6.

Patterson also took a superb one-handed return catch to get rid of Rikki Clarke shortly before tea.

Debutant Carver finished things off with a wicket either side of tea to cap an encouraging debut, which saw him take three wickets in all.

He bowled Jeetan Patel in the final over of the afternoon to leave Warwickshire eight down before trapping Boyd Rankin lbw to wrap up the win. Brooks had taken the nine wicket.

Coach Jason Gillespie said: “You’re always seeking for a way to try and have that perfect performance. This is up there. It’s a fantastic win.”

Yorkshire’s NatWest T20 Blast with Lancashire at Headingley on Friday is a 16,200 sell out.

SCORECARD

At Edgbaston. Overnight: Warwickshire
228 (J S Patel 63 no). Yorkshire 422 (A
J Finch110, J M Bairstow 68, A Z Lees
64, R M Pyrah 62).

Warwickshire Second Innings
V Chopra lbw b Sidebottom ...............5
W T Porterfield c Bairstow
b Sidebottom......................................... 43
J O Troughton c Carver b Brooks......9
S R Hain b Patterson........................... 19
T R Ambrose c Lyth b Sidebottom.... 14
C R Woakes c Lyth b Patterson........ 16
R Clarke c & b Patterson.................... 20
K H Barker c Bairstow b Brooks....... 16
J S Patel b Carver ................................ 11
C J Wright not out................................ 19
W B Rankin lbw b Carver....................1
Extras (b4 lb5 nb4) ..............13
Total (70 overs) .................. 186
Fall: 1-8 2-19 3-66 4-95 5-110 6-133
7-136 8-158 9-172
Bowling: Sidebottom 16-4-31-3. Brooks
17-7-59-2. Patterson 16-6-26-3. Pyrah
11-3-30-0. Carver 9-3-27-2. Lyth 1-0-4-0.
Yorkshire (24pts) beat Warwickshire (3pts) by an innings and 8 runs