Nottinghamshire 143; Yorkshire 213-5
Yorkshire were under pressure to justify their championship-winning credentials after their defeat on this ground against Durham last week, and shortly after tea they had done it so emphatically that Dickie Bird wandered through the East Stand bar and announced to no one in particular: "We'll have trouble losing it from here."
The optimism of the World's Most Famous Test Umpire was not entirely justified. Yorkshire had looked well set at 106-1 with Adam Lyth and Anthony McGrath in command, but moments after passing Nottinghamshire's 143 they found themselves five wickets down. It took an unbeaten 47 from their redoubtable young captain Andrew Gale to settle their nerves. There is plenty of cricket left in this.
As McGrath fell lbw to Andre Adams, Lyth was caught at long-leg, hooking, and Jonny Bairstow got a shooter before he settled, one half-expected Dickie to career back into view with a cry of: "What's happening, what's happening?" By then he was probably back in Barnsley, having his tea.
Notts's rally owed much to Luke Fletcher, who has three of the wickets to fall. He had a poor 2010, with nine wickets at 56, but at his best he is full of stamina and has no little ability. At 21, he has every chance to prove himself a seam bowler of quality.
At tea, a ceremony marked the 60-year anniversary of Bob Appleyard taking 200 wickets in his debut season, a feat never matched and he would have been impressed by the manner of Notts's fightback. They batted after winning the toss, assuming that the ball would not swing under heavenly blue skies, but you cannot entirely tame the Headingley Beast. It turned over on its back, snarled with purpose and said: "I think not, we will have some fun today." The ball swung wickedly throughout the Notts innings and they were 56-6 soon after midday. The experimental opening pair of Mark Wagh and Paul Franks were among them; Notts have had three opening century stands in the championship in five years.
Few bowlers control a swinging ball as well as Ryan Sidebottom. His opening spell of 3-15 in nine overs, including Samit Patel lbw first ball, was the basis of his 4-30. Richard Pyrah, regarded as a jobbing cricketer, proved that the faith of his coach Martyn Moxon may not be misplaced as he intervened with his second career-best figures in a week, 5-58.
That Notts avoided total calamity was due to Alex Hales's ebullient 85 in 89 balls. He was last out, caught at mid-wicket off Pyrah as he was forced to go for broke. Here is another young batsman of considerable talent. Nobody would have begrudged him what would have been an outstanding hundred.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/20/nottinghamshire-yorkshire-county-championship
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