Tykes can still avoid the drop, says Moxon (From The Northern Echo)

Tykes can still avoid the drop, says Moxon

8:00am Monday 5th September 2011 in Yorkshire CCC Match Reports

Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon insists his side have not given up hope of avoiding the drop. This is despite the Tykes being held to a draw in their penultimate game of the season by Warwickshire in the LV=County Championship.

Bad light brought a premature finish at Edgabston, meaning Yorkshire head into their final fixture of the season with Somerset this week 14 points adrift of safety.

"We have got it all to do now," admitted Moxon, whose side picked up eight points in Birmingham.

"We are not giving up hope that we can survive. We did not get the result we wanted and needed, but I was very pleased with the way we went about our work."

This may be the case, but in reality the stalemate will surely mean Yorkshire's six-year stay in the top flight is over.

As well as the points difference to third bottom Worcestershire, the Pears have also played a game less than the Tykes. This means that even if Yorkshire pick up maximum points against Somerset this week, Worcestershire would only need ten points from their final two games to condemn the county to the drop.

Not that the Tykes' spirit can be called into question if last week's match with Warwickshire is anything to go by.

A committed performance could well have led to a much-needed victory had the weather not intervened.

After Gary Ballance reached his maiden Championship century on Saturday, Yorkshire declared on 385 for eight to set a target of 349 runs in a minimum of 78 overs.

Warwickshire then reduced it to 188 from 27 overs, as they reached 161 for three, before both sides attempted to contrive a result with the game going nowhere.

However, after Yorkshire had bowled Joe Root and Adam Lyth as an incentive for their hosts to go for the victory, the decision was taken to take the players off for bad light with the Bears needing 135 runs off 124 balls.

Meanwhile, the Tykes have confirmed that Jacques Rudolph may again be missing against Somerset.

He had been expected to return to Headingley after sitting out the Warwickshire encounter due to commitments in his homeland, but complications with his South African team Titans means this may now not happen.