Warwickshire v Yorkshire: Match Report

Yorkshire battle their way to a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Warwickshire in the Bears' first match of the 2010 season.

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Warwickshire v Yorkshire, Edgbaston, April 9-12 2010

Yorkshire (21 points) beat Warwickshire (4 points) by 4 wickets

New Yorkshire skipper, Andrew Gale won the toss and invited the Bears to bat in the opening match at Edgbaston and was rewarded with the wickets of Chopra, Bell and Trott before lunch and a fourth, immediately after, when Westwood was lbw.

Ambrose, Woakes and Troughton all followed, before a partnership between Naqaash and Carter helped the Bears secure one batting point, as the innings closed on 217.

Woakes made an early breakthrough, removing Lyth and Naqaash followed with McGrath’s wicket before Sayers was stumped as Yorkshire closed the opening day on 128-3.

Rudolph completed his fifty on the second morning but a clatter of wickets saw Yorkshire finish the morning session on 201-7.

Yorkshire dug in for just sixty-six runs in the afternoon session, but after tea the Bears quickly finished off the Yorkshire innings for 274 a lead of fifty-seven for the visitors.

An early second innings set-back came when skipper Westwood gloved to Bairstow without scoring, but Ian Bell and Varun Chopra then set about wiping out the arrears, closing the day with a lead of twenty seven runs.

The partnership was worth 97 when Chopra edged to slip and almost immediately Bell having completed his half-century, drove straight to cover point.

Trott and Troughton combined well, to go to lunch on 176-3 with Trott completing his half century just before the break.

After lunch, Hannon-Dalby took his first five-wicket haul, while Troughton completed his half-century, before the Bears were finally dismissed for 347.

In reply, the opening Yorkshire pair made a solid start, but Naqaash had Sayers caught before the close when Yorkshire still required 234 more for victory on the final day.

Resistance on the final morning was broken when Carter trapped Shahzad lbw and Lyth followed to a leg-side catch by Ambrose.

Imran consolidated the Bears’ position with the priceless wickets of McGrath and Gayle, as Yorkshire went to lunch on 130-5, still requiring a further 161 runs to win.

The afternoon belonged totally to Yorkshire, as Bairstow and Rudolph blasted the visitors to the verge of victory with some powerful hitting, while the Bears had no answer to an onslaught that blew away any hopes they'd had at lunchtime of an opening match victory.

Bresnan’s glance to fine leg saw Yorkshire victors by 4 wickets, with Rudolph unbeaten on sixty nine, to take twenty one points to the Bears’ four.