Left-hand batsman Billy Root, above, and right-handed brother Joe became the first siblings to play for Yorkshire Second Eleven together for 13 years. Yorkshire fell into the grip of Warwickshire Bearcubs and went down by 137 runs in this Trophy clash.

The visitors to the repavilioned Clifton Park in the leafy northern suburbs of York won the toss and, mindful of the ground’s reputation as a batsman’s paradise, they opted to bat.

Nelson, the cue for a shepherd’s jig, was on the board when the first wicket was taken on the first ball of the 23rd over: James Ord was bowled by left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa, the sixth Yorkshire bowler tried. The next wicket came 21 runs later, when Keith Barker was caught on the deep-square-leg boundary by Callum Geldart.

Eighty-eight runs were scored in the next 12 overs - the supposedly barren part of a 50-over innings. The run feast came to an end when Nathan Newport, son of Phil, the former Worcestershire player, was bowled by Joe Root five runs short of a maiden Trophy century.

It had taken almost 40 overs to capture that third wicket - but it was to take only 10 to take six more. The ball was very much in the Warwickshire court as the batsmen added 85 runs at the same time. Steffan Piolet - rhymes with “violet” - scored 45 of those runs off 28 balls.

The target of 306 looked a shade too much for the young Rosebuds. Geldart and Charlie Roebuck together scored a run a ball, but both had lost their wickets by the ninth over.

A half-century stand followed as  Billy Root, making his seasonal debut, joined brother Joe at the crease - the first brothers to play in the same Yorkshire Second Eleven team since the Morrises, Alex and Zac, in 1997. The Roots were unable to accelerate the rate, their stand realising not much more than three an over. Billy was caught behind by Richard Johnson, who stumped Joe three overs later when an atempted reverse sweep went wrong.

There were no more substantial partnerships except for the ninth wicket - when in six overs James Lee and Jordan Lowe added 43. Lowe hit 29 off 23 balls, including two sixes, but his innings ended when he was stumped - wicket-keeper dismissing wicket-keeper.

The Yorkshire innings ended two balls later, 138 short of the target - marginally better than the 154-run defeat by Leicestershire in the previous match. The next Trophy game is next week against the MCC Young Cricketers.

Words and Statistics: MICHAEL SNOOK