IF you subscribe to the view that the race for the LV County Championship title race is between only Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, then the Trent Bridge side grasped the upper hand yesterday.

Taking a point lead into this game at Headingley, Andrew Gale’s men were skittled out for 178 on day one, their lowest total for two years.

But at least Steve Patterson was able to give Yorkshire something to cheer in the evening session with two wickets as Notts responded with a commanding 147-3 from 37 overs. They are only 31 runs behind.

Gale elected to bat under overcast skies, but only Jacques Rudolph’s wicket was given away. He was run out after a mix-up with Anthony McGrath.

Notts were excellent. Whisper it quietly, but they looked like champions elect.

That’s not to say that Yorkshire cannot come back from this, far from it.

But the hosts will have to do something special to avoid defeat here after Ryan Sidebottom, Paul Franks, Andre Adams and Darren Pattinson took advantage of nibble off the pitch and some early help through the air.

The former three all took two wickets, as did left-arm spinner Samit Patel to polish off the White Rose tail. Sidebottom’s 2-25 from 15 overs were the pick of the figures.

Jonny Bairstow top scored with only 45, while McGrath, Gale and David Wainwright were the only other men who made it to 20 or more.

Things did not look good for Yorkshire after only five balls when Adam Lyth edged Sidebottom behind to Chris Read for a duck. Then came Rudolph’s departure. Mc- Grath played the ball into the covers before setting off down the wicket and stopping – only to find Rudolph hurtling down the track from the nonstriker’s end.

Ally Brown had enough time to run in and take the bails off to leave Yorkshire at 5-2 in the sixth.

Gale followed lbw to Franks before McGrath and Bairstow shared 46 for the fourth wicket.

But their good work was undone when McGrath edged New Zealand medium pacer Adams behind to Read for 29.

Yorkshire’s morning misery was completed when Gerard Brophy was bowled by Adams to leave the score at 89-5 after 28.

Adil Rashid was next to go, trapped lbw by Pattinson, early in the afternoon.

But Bairstow was at least able to counter attack with a couple of glorious shots off Pattinson. Unfortunately, he was done by Sidebottom – the ball swinging in, nipping away and clipping the off bail – to leave Yorkshire at 136-7 in the 41st.

Ajmal Shahzad was caught behind by Read off Franks before Patel snared Patterson and Oliver Hannon Dalby lbw to wrap up Yorkshire’s innings.

Matt Wood then hit an entertaining 59 off 77 balls for the visitors, but he was one of Patterson’s scalps, trapped lbw.

Patterson had Alex Hales caught behind by Brophy, chasing a wide on, while Hannon Dalby bowled Mark Wagh.

Patel and David Hussey have moved to 37 and 35 not out respectively.

SCORECARD

Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire
At Headingley Carnegie.

Yorkshire First Innings
A Lyth c Read b Sidebottom 0
J A Rudolph run out 1
A McGrath c Read b Adams 29
A W Gale lbw b Franks 24
J M Bairstow b Sidebottom 45
G L Brophy b Adams 5
A U Rashid lbw b Pattinson 13
A Shahzad c Read b Franks 17
D J Wainwright not out 20
S A Patterson lbw b S R Patel 10
O J Hannon-Dalby lbw b S R Patel 2
Extras (b3 lb3 w2 nb4 pens 0)12
Total (58.3 overs) 178
Fall: 1-0 2-5 3-36 4-82 5-89 6-104 7-136 8-
144 9-176
Bonus Pts: Yorkshire 0 Nottinghamshire 3
Bowling: Sidebottom 15-6-25-2. Pattinson
12-1-61-1. Franks 14-3-40-2. Adams 14-3-
44-2. S R Patel 3.3-1-2-2.

Nottinghamshire First Innings Close
A D Hales c Brophy b Patterson 2
M J Wood lbw b Patterson 59
M A Wagh b Hannon-Dalby 4
S R Patel not out 37
D J Hussey not out 35
Extras (b4 lb3 w3 pens 0) 10
Total 3 wkts (37 overs) 147
Fall: 1-22 2-52 3-97
To Bat: A D Brown, C M W Read, P J
Franks, R J Sidebottom, A R Adams, D
J Pattinson.
Bonus Pts: Yorkshire 0 Nottinghamshire 3
Bowling: Shahzad 8-1-36-0. Patterson 12-
1-39-2. Hannon-Dalby 10-1-40-1. A U
Rashid 6-0-20-0. Wainwright 1-0-5-0.