Match report day 2 Yorkshire v Derbyshire in Championship 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Yorkshire v Derbyshire

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Overnight: Yorkshire 225/1 off 60 overs (Wood 100*, McGrath 89*)
Lunch: no play
Tea: no play
Close: Yorkshire 321/4 off 86.3 overs (Lehmann 25*, Craven 0*)

 

Further rain, which cost two full sessions of the second day, has almost certainly condemned this match to a draw, barring a quixotic declaration or two. The pitch, belying the usual Headingley reputation, gave little help to the bowlers, and Yorkshire’s weak current attack would appear to have little hope in bowling Derbyshire out twice in less than two days.

 

Again there was overnight rain, but it was hoped to make a start after lunch. Then drizzle set in again. Finally, play was deemed possible after tea, for a maximum of 32 overs.

 

A rather wayward opening over, including two no-balls, from Paul Havell brought Yorkshire 9 runs, with Matthew Wood the beneficiary. As he had more than 24 hours previously, he got the score moving quickly, but on 110 had a lucky escape as he miscued a pull from Havell, lobbing the ball up but short of mid-on. He continued to pull and drive with confidence, and after 15 minutes he had added 23 runs to his overnight 100, including three fours in a row off Mo Sheikh.

 

But then he pulled Sheikh once too often, miscuing again, and Havell, running in from long leg, held a good catch near the square-leg umpire. Wood made 123 off 205 balls, with 19 fours and 2 sixes. Yorkshire were 254 for two after 63 overs and a partnership of 190.

 

Anthony McGrath moved slowly on to 96, seven runs in half an hour, when he lashed a short ball from Jonathan Moss past extra cover to the boundary and brought up his 13th first-class century off 126 deliveries. He tried to step up the rate, but had not the same fluency he showed the previous day, and many of his best shots hit the fielders. Then, on 109, he sparred at a good ball from Graeme Welch that moved away outside the off side and edged a catch to the wicketkeeper, Luke Sutton. Yorkshire were 289 for three.

 

Darren Lehmann was not finding the going easy, and Ian Harvey scratched around in a struggle for his first run. It took a good half-hour for either to look at home at the crease, and by then the light was on the decline. But Harvey was out for a rather uncomfortable 16, setting off for a single as non-striker that was rejected by Lehmann, after a push to midwicket Welch, who threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end. Yorkshire were 318 for four.

 

Shortly afterwards the umpires offered the batsmen the light, which they accepted. Yorkshire, at 321 for four, were in a strong position, but even if there is no more rain, they will be hard pressed to bowl the visitors out twice to win this match.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)