Rudolph’s hard graft is rewarded with ton
A SUPERB century on a difficult
pitch from Jacques Rudolph
helped Yorkshire to a competitive
total in their first innings
against Nottinghamshire at
Headingley yesterday.
Michael Vaughan's resurgence
was finally ended by England
team-mate Stuart Broad, eight
runs shy of what would have
been a morale-boosting 50.
Rudolph spent over five hours
at the crease and the only way it
seemed he wouldn't make the
milestone was if he ran out of
partners.
He brought up his ton by driving
Mark Ealham through the
covers and sprinting through for
three with Matthew Hoggard at
the other end.
"It's always pleasing to get a
hundred," said Rudolph. "I probably
needed a barn door to get
Sidebottom away with the second
new ball! On a pitch like this
though, when the ball is swinging
all over the place, you have to
go to back to your basics and I
had to fight through
it in the end."
Rudolph has now
made at least 50 in
three of Yorkshire's
last four
games and has twice
gone on to make a hundred,
but the South
African thinks he still has
more in the tank.
"To be honest I haven't
been totally comfortable
yet," he said. "I think I've
probably got another 20 or 30
per cent to my game that I've
still to give."
Yorkshire were bowled
out for 299, one run short of
a third point after falling
just short of a maximum
when succumbing for 398
against Hampshire last
week.
Disappointing though
it was, it needed a major
rescue operation from
Rudolph and Gerard Brophy,
with a century partnership,
to lift Yorkshire
anywhere near
300.
At 78 for one the
home side were in
control with Vaughan
looking more
than capable of making
a big score. But
when Anthony Mc-
Grath was caught
behind off Charlie
Shreck for 36, they
began to wobble.
Yorkshire briefly
recovered with
Vaughan on a mission.
Facing Broad for
the first time, he
banished him for a
superb six over deep
square leg.
But shortly afterwards,
he attempted
the same shot, only to
be caught five yards
in from the boundary
by Samit Patel.
After Andrew Gale
and Adil Rashid came and went
Yorkshire were in trouble on 111
for five but Brophy and
Rudolph's heroics steadied the
ship until Brophy was brilliantly
bowled by Graham Swann, having
made his way to a half century.
Tim Bresnan's plucky 18 put
Yorkshire back on track for 300
but another slump saw the home
side finish just shy, Morne
Morkel lasting just three balls on
his debut.
Darren Gough was bowled by
Swann for three and Hoggard
was last man out when he fell lbw
to Swann.
Sidebottom bowled brilliantly
and will wonder how he finished
the first innings without a wicket
to his name.
He sent down an incredible 12
maidens in his 24 overs.
But what the former Yorkshire
bowler couldn't do in his mammoth
spell, Hoggard achieved
with his tenth ball.
The visitors had just three
overs to bat before the close but
Hoggard took a crucial scalp
with the light fading.
The 6ft 11in former Essex opener
Will Jefferson was dismissed
lbw for a duck and Nottinghamshire
were nought for one at
stumps.
Yorkshire v Notts
At Headingley Carnegie.
Overnight: Yorkshire 51-1.
Yorkshire First Innings
M P Vaughan c Patel b Broad .... 42
A McGrath c Read b Shreck .... 36
J A Rudolph not out ....104
A W Gale lbw b Broad .... 4
A U Rashid c Jefferson b Broad ... 4
G L Brophy b Swann ..... 63
T T Bresnan run out .... 18
M Morkel lbw b Swann .... 0
D Gough b Swann .... 3
M J Hoggard lbw b Swann
.... 12
Extras (lb4 pens 0)
...... 4
Total (121.5 overs)
......299
Fall: 1-33 2-78 3-96 4-103 5-111 6-217 7-269 8-
271 9-275
Bowling: Sidebottom 24-12-45-0. Shreck 33-10-
78-1. Broad 25-5-95-3. Ealham 24-7-52-1.
Swann 15.5-4-25-4.
Nottinghamshire First Innings Close
W I Jefferson lbw b Hoggard .... 0
M J Wood not out .... 0
Extras (pens 0) ..... 0
Total 1 wkt (2.4 overs) ... 0
Fall: 1-0
Bonus Pts: Yorkshire 2 Nottinghamshire 3
Bowling: Hoggard 1.4-1-0-1. M Morkel 1-1-0-0.
9:55am Friday 2nd May 2008
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