Bears go down fighting

Warwickshire lost to Yorkshire by 6 wickets at Headingley after they were bowled out for 371 in their second innings with Rikki Clarke making an unbeaten 127 setting Yorkshire 200 to win.

DAY 4

The overnight pair of Clarke and Javid put up some early resistance on the final morning, before Javid was out edging Rashid to Brophy for 48, his highest first-class score.
Tim Ambrose 16, was beaten by a quick delivery from Pyrah with the new ball and Patterson trapped Stef Piolet lbw for four.
Rikki Clarke 78* continued to bat well at the other end, as he and Carter 17* took the Bears through to lunch on 270-6 with a lead of ninety eight.

Carter was lbw to Rashid, his fifth victim, for twenty one and Piolet 4, went the same way to the new ball attack of Patterson, before a stand of seventy five for the eighth wicket between Imran 41 and Clarke, who completed a superb rearguard century for the Bears gave thenm some sort of total to defend.

Once Imran had gone, Clarke ran out of partners as Rankin and the injured Jim Troughton, weren't able to extend the innings, lving Yorkshre a target for victory of exactly two hundred.

Boyd Rankin raised the Bears' hopes when prolific run scorer, Adam Lyth was caught at slip by Clarke for five and then he trapped McGrath lbw for fifteen, but skipper Rudolph, now joined by Bairstow, completed his half century as Yorkshire reached 98-2 in the twenty third over.

Rudolph was run out by a fine throw from Rankin for eighty with the Yorkshire needing seventy three runs from eleven overs.

Bairstow and Brophy got the requirement down to 39 from seven overs when Imran bowled Brophy, but with Bairstow completing his half century he and Rashid completed the home side's win by six wickets with two overs to spare, to takethem twenty one points clear at the top of the table.

Despite defeat. there were plenty of positives to take from the Bears' batting performance in the second innings.
 

DAY 3

Warwickshire last three first innings wickets fell to Steve Patterson on the third morning for the addition of thirty two runs as they were dismissed for two hundred and fifty three to trail by one hundred and seventy two on first innings.

Carter 15, Imran 1 and Rankin 0 were the victims while Clarke finished unbeaten on forty six before Yorkshire implemented the follow-on.

Ian Westwood was dropped in the slips by Rashid when on four but in the final over before lunch, Rashid bowled Maddy 16, as he looked to whip the ball through the on-side with the Bears 26-1. Ant Botha was given a life off his first ball when he played through Lyth's hands at short-leg as the Bears went to the interval on 28-1 trailing by one hundred and forty four

After lunch, Westwood and Botha put together a half century partnership before both men went in the space of one run to Rashid, Botha caught by Brophy for twenty four and Westwood lbw for forty two.

Rikki Clarke joined JimTroughton who was hit on the helmet by Best and forced to retire hurt on seventeen. Ateeq Javid joined Clarke and went through to tea when Warwickshire were 142-3 with Clarke 30* and Javid 10*.

Rain prevented much play after tea, but in the time available between showers, Clarke and Javid wiped out Yorkshire's lead and extended the Bears' advantage to twenty one with Clarke completing his half century and Javid a personal best of 37* before play was abandoned for the day just after six o'clock with a tough final day lying in wait for the Bears.

 

DAY 2

Neil Carter gave the Bears a good start to the second day when picking up a wicket with his second delivery, trapping Rashid lbw for twenty nine.

Gerard Brophy completed his second century for Yorkshire before being caught at backward point by Botha off Clarke for 103 and when Rafiq 12, gave Clarke a second wicket, caught by Piolet, Yorkshire were 369-7.

Some late order resistance from Pyrah and Patterson was ended when a smart piece of fielding from Piolet ran out Patterson as Yorkshire went to lunch on 417-8 with Pyrah 39* and Best 2*.

After lunch, Rankin and Imran wrapped up Yorkshire's first innings for 425 and the Bears began their reply, with Westwood in particularly aggressive form, reaching his fifty and the opening pair postingn the first century pa\rtnership of the season, before Maddy was lbw to Hannon-Dalby for 35.

Two runs later it was Westwood 66 who also went lbw to Rashid as the Bears went to tea on 111-2 trailing by three hundred and fourteen.

The final session saw Warwickshire lose five more wickets as Troughton 22, Javid 1 and Botha 19, all went within the space of nine deliveries to Rashid and Patterson.

Ambrose and Clarke added forty seven runs for the sixth wicket before Ambrose 30, was bowled by Best and Stef piolet became Rashid's fourth victim when lbw for six.

Neil Carter and Rikki Clarke were together at the close as the Bears finished the day on 221-7, still requiring fifty five to avoid a possible follow-on
 

DAY 1

Neil Carter gave the Bears an early boost when Rudolph edged a slanting delivery to Rikki Clarke at slip who took a regulation catch, before Yorkshire’s acting captain had scored. There were let offs too, for both Lyth, after the Bears were convinced he’d edged Carter through to Ambrose on twelve and McGrath who was almost run out before scoring when Troughton’s shy at the stumps narrowly missed with the batsman some way out of his ground after he’d dropped his bat.
Riding their luck, whilst also playing a combination of aggressive shots, McGrath 47 and Lyth 69 took Yorkshire through to the interval on 119-1 with Lyth becoming the first player to reach 1,000 first-class runs this summer when reaching eighteen.
After lunch, McGrath completed his half century but Neil Carter picked up his second wicket when the former Yorkshire skipper edged to Maddy for 57 and he struck again with another full delivery that Lyth 84, played around trapping him lbw.

Bairstow and Brophy dug in for the second hour of the session, batting through to tea when Yorkshire were 192-3.

During the final session, Brophy completed his first half century since last August against Warwickshire at Scarborough and the fourth wicket partnership of 100 was only broken when Stef Piolet trapped Bairstow lbw for forty. He might have had a second wicket if holding a difficult return chance from Rashid, but this was to be the last opportunity for the Bears as Yorkshire closed the opening day on 325-4, with Brophy ninety two not out.