All bets were off at Barnsley as Yorkshire’s Second Eleven Championship match against Worcestershire was abandoned as a draw without a ball bowled on Day 3. Worcestershire walk away with 10 points and Yorkshire nine.

Local knowledge forecast before the scheduled start as the rain was falling and the wind direction had shifted that there would be no play. This was confirmed after an early lunch at 12.30pm, when the umpires made their umpteenth inspection in a short spell of watery sunshine and declared the match abandoned. It was raining again by the time they got back.

Now the bright spots: Yorkshire performed much better than against Durham in the two-day defeat at York. Left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa rediscovered the art of taking wickets, and Will Rhodes on Championship debut ended Day 2 on 30 not out, having faced 63 balls and occupied the crease in an increasingly confident manner for 65 minutes.

And Jack Leaning made a first-innings 71 from 110 deliveries in almost three hours.

The other two Championship debutants need not be too disappointed: the bowling of Graeme Whiles looked to have something, and Ben Coad was not discredited in his five-over spell. Experienced batsman need a delivery to be only fractionally off-length to clobber it - and these are deliveries that bowlers might just get away with in Academy matches.

The Academy players - five were playing in this game - have not let themselves down. They all need time and hard work if the raw talent is to be developed into something more professional.

That is it for the Seconds in the Broad Acres until August. The fixture at York against MCC Universities (August 7-9 is shown as a home game on the website list, but Clive Radley, coach to the MCC side, reminded me the other day at Loughborough that Yorkshire were visitors.

So, Yorkshire’s next confirmed Second Eleven home match is against Warwickshire at Weetwood in the One-Day Trophy on Tuesday, August 21, followed by the Championship clash at Stamford Bridge over the next three days.

Day 2: Left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa took the Yorkshire honours as the match slipped away from them. Worcestershire began the day 115 behind Yorkshire’s first-innings total with only three wickets left…problem was that two of the wickets to fall the previous evening had been nightwatchmen, and opener Matt Pardoe was still there with batsmen to come.

Yorkshire’s hopes of a very useful lead disappeared as the morning wore on. Pardoe and Cox put on 81 for the eighth wicket, and the visitors were still not finished. Wicket-keeper Cox was caught off Randhawa for 36, but gradually Worcestershire approached Yorkshire’s total…and then passed it.

The rock on which this turnabout was built was Pardoe, who carried his bat for 156, made from 231 deliveries with 16 fours and three sixes in an innings spanning almost five hours. Who would have thought on Tuesday night that the Royals would lead by 36? Yorkshire batsmen must learn to emulate such feats of endurance, tenacity and no little concentration – but well done, Randhawa, for his 5-42 from 21.4 overs, with six maidens.

The home side started their second innings just after lunch, but openers Joe Sayers and skipper Alex Lees were back in the pavilion before the hosts were in credit. Gradually, the lead passed 100, and Yorkshire ended the day 103 ahead with four second-innings wickets left…if we have four batsmen left.

Adil Rashid and Steven Patterson were summoned to Leicester for the T20 at lunchtime, and Rashid`s presence at No.4 was sorely missed. We will see tomorrow who are available.

One unusual occurrence was noted at 1.14 pm: this year the ECB have ruled that the situation applying at teatime when nine wickets are down will apply at lunchtime also – play an extra half-hour. We were in the last over before lunch when George Rhodes shouldered arms to Randhawa and had his off-stump clipped. A victory for the hungry.

Day 1: Leg-spinning all-rounder Adil Rashid cracked 53 and then pocketed 3-26 as Yorkshire ended the day on top.It was a day in which 17 wickets fell, and it was without doubt the longest day I have known as a cricket scorer.

It began on time, at 11am, but the players took an early tea because of light rain in the afternoon. Yorkshire were bowled out for 224, and 34 overs still remained to be bowled with close of play extended to 7.10pm or completion of the overs, whichever was the later. The last over, all three balls of it, finished at 7.40pm.

What a day of swings of fortune. Yorkshire won the toss, elected to bat and the opening pair of Alex Lees and Joe Sayers saw up the 50 before both fell in quick succession. Rashid started the afternoon as if he wanted to see 300 on the board by tea, but the top scorer was to be Jack Leaning, with 71 including seven fours and two sixes, well supported by Ed Wilson. 198-5, but then the rot set in.

It began with a run-out as Leaning and Will Rhodes got their wires crossed, and Rhodes departed for four on his Championship debut - Gareth Whiles and Ben Coad were also making their Championship debuts for Yorkshire, and both were to bowl creditably. From 198-5 Yorkshire slipped to 224 all out. A good chance missed.

I said as Worcestershire began their reply that Yorkshire would need four wickets by the close to stay in it: they achieved that target, and how…the visitors were coasting on 77-2, but the last 70 deliveries turned the game on its head as spin twins Rashid and left-armer Gurman Randhawa took 5-32 between them to reduce Worcestershire to 109-7.

Yorkshire have an overnight lead of 115. Worcestershire have already used two nightwatchmen, but they have wicket-keeper Ben Cox to partner Matt Pardoe from the off this morning - and both are quite capable of scoring centuries. The job is not complete.

One other player who will bat today is George Rhodes, son of Steven – the former Yorkshire wicket-keeper/batsman who answered the calls of Worcestershire and England. Yorkshire need kind weather as they strive for their first Championship victory in two years.

The Second Eleven scores are available on match days via Total Cricket Live Scores. Here's how to keep up with scorer and Yorkshire County Cricket Club website correspondent HOWARD CLAYTON:

www.totalcricketscorer.co.uk

Select Live Scores
Select country as United Kingdom
Select region as Yorkshire and Club as Yorkshire

The lastest score should display! Clicking on scorecard should bring up the full scorecard.

HOWARD CLAYTON