STUMPS DAY ONE: MIDDLESEX 106; YORKSHIRE 238-9*
Yorkshire became county champions on a dramatic day at Lord’s, with second-placed Middlesex routed for 106 and Ryan Sidebottom grabbing a triple wicket maiden in perhaps the most remarkable opening over of a match even the world’s most famous ground has witnessed.
It was the 32nd outright championship title in their proud history, and the LV= County Championship Division One game’s first day also included a cathartic 98 from 110 balls by Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale as his team reached 238 for 9 in reply.
Prevented by suspension from receiving the championship trophy last year, Gale will now get his chance to hold the trophy aloft when the official presentation is made at the end of this game.
Gale and Lees had shaken hands in the middle of the pitch, with Gale also raising his gloved fist in triumph as his team celebrated on their dressing room balcony, when news came through from Trent Bridge at 3.06pm that Nottinghamshire had been bowled out without collecting the batting bonus points they required to keep the title race alive.
In truth, there has not been much of a race for the championship title this summer, because Yorkshire have been seemingly too powerful to be challenged by anyone. Middlesex, indeed, plunged to a barely-believable 0 for 3 after just six balls of this game as their hopes of holding up Yorkshire disappeared in a flurry of wickets.
By lunch Middlesex had staggered to 92 for 7, and their first innings did not last long afterwards with Tim Bresnan sending back James Franklin and Toby Roland-Jones, leg-before aiming across the line, in the space of four balls during the fourth over after the interval to finish with 4 for 30.
Fittingly, however, it was Sidebottom who wrapped up the innings by bowling Tim Murtagh for 3 to earn himself the superb final figures of 12-5-18-5. The other Middlesex wicket to fall was taken by off spinner James Middlebrook, who came on for the last over before lunch and promptly had John Simpson caught at the wicket with the final ball of the morning for 28.
Sidebottom, the 37-year-old former England left-arm fast bowler, removed Stirling, Nick Compton and Dawid Malan with the second, fifth and sixth balls of the game’s first over after Gale had won the toss under overcast skies. Stirling was leg-before to a perfectly-pitched inswinger, giving Sidebottom his 700th first-class wicket, Compton caught behind off one angled across him and Malan bowled first ball by a beauty which spread-eagled his stumps.
Gale’s decision to bowl first bore even more fruit when Sidebottom had Stevie Ezkinazi, a 21-year-old on debut, caught for 4 by Adam Lyth at second slip to leave Middlesex on 14 for 4.
Sidebottom’s new ball spell was a magnificent 6-2-11-4 and Yorkshire, who began the match knowing five bonus points by them would ensure successive championship titles for the first time since 1968, actually only required their three bowling points because both Middlesex and Notts had bad days with the bat.
Following Sidebottom’s initial burst, there was a 30-run partnership for the fifth wicket between opener Sam Robson and Leicestershire-bound all-rounder Neil Dexter before Bresnan removed both players in his first and fourth overs. Dexter, on 18, edged Bresnan’s fifth ball to wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, diving to his right to hold a good catch, and Robson’s 45-ball 26 ended eleven runs later when he edged to Lees at first slip to leave Middlesex 55 for 6.
Franklin also played and missed several times at Steven Patterson in an unhappy 12, which ended when he swished to third slip, but at least Simpson offered six fours in a punchy 22-ball cameo before Middlebrook struck with the last ball of an action-packed first session.
When Yorkshire batted, Roland-Jones won lbw appeals to claim the wickets of Lyth, for 25, and Gary Ballance for a duck, in a new ball spell of 2 for 34 and he later returned to have Middlebrook caught behind for 4 as Yorkshire’s innings fell away following Gale’s exit.
Murtagh also picked up the scalps of Hodd for 20 and Patterson for 0 before bad light ended play four overs early. Lees had been leg-before for 39 to Stirling’s off spin on the stroke of tea, while Dexter chipped away at Yorkshire’s middle order after tea to remove both Jack Leaning and Bresnan lbw for 9 and 11 respectively before ending Gale’s fine knock, which included 18 fours, to earn figures of 3 for 24.
With a lead already of 132, however, Yorkshire are scenting a 10th win from 14 championship games this season.
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DAY ONE TEA UPDATE: MIDDLESEX 106; YORKSHIRE 129-3
Ryan Sidebottom grabbed a triple wicket maiden, in perhaps the most remarkable opening over of a match even Lord’s has witnessed, as Yorkshire routed Middlesex for 106 while becoming county champions for a second successive season and the 32nd time in their proud history.
At tea on a dramatic opening day to their LV= County Championship Division One game, Yorkshire had reached 129 for 3 in reply, with Andrew Gale on 54 not out and Alex Lees leg-before to Paul Stirling’s off spin for 39 just before the scheduled interval.
Gale and Lees had shaken hands in the middle of the pitch, with Yorkshire captain Gale also raising his gloved fist in triumph as his team celebrated on their dressing room balcony, when news came through from Trent Bridge that Nottinghamshire had been bowled out without collecting the batting bonus points they required to keep the title race alive.
In truth, there has not been much of a race for the championship title this summer, with Yorkshire seemingly too powerful to be challenged by anyone. Middlesex, indeed, second in the table before today, plunged to a barely-believable 0 for 3 after just six balls of this game as their hopes of holding Yorkshire up disappeared in a flurry of wickets.
By lunch Middlesex had staggered to 92 for 7, and their first innings did not last long afterwards with Tim Bresnan sending back James Franklin and Toby Roland-Jones, leg-before aiming across the line, in the space of four balls during the fourth over after the interval to finish with 4 for 30.
Fittingly, however, it was Sidebottom who wrapped up the innings by bowling Tim Murtagh for 3 to earn himself final figures of 12-5-18-5. The other Middlesex wicket to fall was taken by off spinner James Middlebrook, who came on for the last over before lunch and promptly had John Simpson caught at the wicket with the final ball of the morning for 28.
Sidebottom, the 37-year-old former England left-arm fast bowler, removed Stirling, Nick Compton and Dawid Malan with the second, fifth and sixth balls of the game’s first over after Gale had won the toss under overcast skies.
Stirling was leg-before to a perfectly-pitched inswinger, giving Sidebottom his 700th first-class wicket, Compton caught behind off one angled across him and Malan bowled first ball by a beauty which spread-eagled his stumps. Gale’s decision to bowl first bore even more fruit when Sidebottom had Stevie Ezkinazi, a 21-year-old on debut, caught for 4 by Adam Lyth at second slip to leave Middlesex on 14 for 4.
Sidebottom’s new ball spell was a magnificent 6-2-11-4 and Yorkshire, who needed just five points at the start of the match to be sure of successive championship titles for the first time since 1968, only had to wait until 3.06pm for confirmation of it as both Middlesex and Notts failed with the bat.
The championship trophy will be presented to Gale at the end of this game. Following Sidebottom’s initial burst, there was a 30-run partnership for the fifth wicket between opener Sam Robson and Leicestershire-bound all-rounder Neil Dexter before Bresnan removed both players in his first and fourth overs.
Dexter, on 18, edged Bresnan’s fifth ball to wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, diving to his right to hold a good catch, and Robson’s 45-ball 26 ended eleven runs later when he edged to Lees at first slip to leave Middlesex 55 for 6.
Franklin also played and missed several times at Steven Patterson in his unhappy 12, which ended when he swished to third slip, but at least Simpson offered six fours in a punchy 22-ball cameo before Middlebrook struck with the last ball of an action-packed session.
When Yorkshire batted, Roland-Jones won lbw appeals to claim the wickets of Lyth, for 25, and Gary Ballance for a duck, but his new ball spell of 2 for 34 was a rare source of satisfaction on a day of misery for Middlesex – and joy for Yorkshire.
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DAY ONE LUNCH UPDATE: MIDDLESEX 92-7*
Ryan Sidebottom produced one of the most remarkable opening overs that even Lord’s has seen as Yorkshire closed in on the LV= County Championship title by reducing their nearest challengers Middlesex to a barely-believable 0 for 3 after six balls.
By lunch Middlesex had staggered to 92 for 7. At the interval Sidebottom had figures of 4 for 14 from eight overs while Tim Bresnan, who also bowled from the Pavilion End while Sidebottom rested between his two pre-lunch spells, chipped in with 2 for 22 to deepen Midldesex’s misery.
And, to complete a wretched session for Middlesex, off spinner James Middlebrook came on for the last over before lunch and promptly had John Simpson caught at the wicket with the final ball of the morning for 28.
Sidebottom, the 37-year-old former England left-arm fast bowler, removed Paul Stirling, Nick Compton and Dawid Malan with the second, fifth and sixth balls of the game’s first over after Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale had won the toss under overcast skies.
Stirling was leg-before to a perfectly-pitched inswinger, Compton caught at the wicket off one angled across him and Malan bowled first ball by a beauty which spread-eagled his stumps.
Gale’s decision to bowl first bore even more fruit when Sidebottom had Stevie Ezkinazi, a 21-year-old on debut, caught for 4 by Adam Lyth at second slip to leave Middlesex on 14 for 4.
Sidebottom’s new ball spell was a magnificent 6-2-11-4 and Yorkshire, needing five points at the start of the match to be sure of successive championship titles, were on the brink of silverware after just one session of play with two bowling bonus points in the bag and both Middlesex – and third-placed Nottinghamshire, in their game against Durham at Trent Bridge – struggling to register even one batting point.
Then, following the relative calm of a 30-run partnership for the fifth wicket between opener Sam Robson and Leicestershire-bound all-rounder Neil Dexter, Bresnan removed both players in his first and fourth overs.
Dexter, on 18, edged Bresnan’s fifth ball to wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, diving to his right to hold a good catch, and Robson’s 45-ball 26 ended eleven runs later when he edged to Alex Lees at first slip to leave Middlesex 55 for 6.
There were more scares for Middlesex, with James Franklin playing and missing several times at Steven Patterson in his 12 not out, but at least Simpson hit six fours in a punchy 22-ball cameo before Middlebrook struck with the last ball of an action-packed session.
