STEVE PATTERSON is hopeful Yorkshire can still force a Specsavers County Championship victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston despite weather accounting for the loss of almost 90 overs across the first two days.

Patterson believes his belligerent career best 62 not out off 74 balls, one of four fifties for the champions, has given them “a glimmer of hope” after recovering from 85-4 on day one to reach 368-9 from 104.3 overs.

After 38 overs were lost on Sunday’s first day, 49.3 overs were lost yesterday due to a mixture of rain and bad light.

But Yorkshire dominated what play was possible as they advanced from 177-4 thanks in the main to a 91-run stand for the eighth-wicket between Patterson and Adil Rashid, who made 63 off 104 balls.

Although time is against Yorkshire, Patterson has pointed out that you only need to look at last year’s fixture here to know that stranger things have happened.

"We can't control the weather, we know that,” said the seamer.

“But last year we got bowled out for 200 here. It was below par, but at one stage we had them 37-9. That shows how quickly a game can change.

“I'm not saying we'll have that success this year, but we're in a position now where if we do bowl well, we've got a glimmer of hope.

"If we can get 10 or 20 more, it puts the pressure back on them.”

The start of play was delayed until 1.30pm yesterday, with three further short stoppages throughout the day.

Yorkshire lost Jack Leaning, Gary Ballance and Liam Plunkett caught behind during the afternoon session as they fell to 252-7 after 78 overs, signalling Patterson’s arrival at the crease.

“What I tried to do was just stay around with Rash for a bit and see if we could get a partnership together,” he said.

"They then started being aggressive with their bowling towards me, they went at me, so I thought if I try and fend it off, I'm likely to spoon one up to the slips or something. I thought I'd try and go back at them a little bit.

"If they'd have bowled good areas, full and hitting the stumps, you can't play like that. It's too dangerous. Thankfully we've got an extra couple of points.”

Leaning fell for 51 and Ballance for 68 after they had shared 102 for the fifth wicket, the majority of which came on day one.

Patterson played and missed numerous times, but he also played some eye-catching strokes.

He crunched a pull off Boyd Rankin to mid-wicket and lofted Jeetan Patel over the top of mid-on for four on the way to topping the 53 he scored against Sussex in 2011.

“We were in an interesting position, but I thought Jack Leaning and Gary Ballance put on a superb partnership,” he added.

“We could have been 250 or 260 all out, but we're in a healthy position now.”

There is definitely enough assistance, mostly through the air, to give Patterson and the rest of Yorkshire’s bowlers hope that something special can be achieved during the next two days.

Should they pick up the victory, it would be the county’s fourth in a row at this venue.