Three centuries - David Wainwright, pictured, with 180, Alex Lees 138 and Gerard Brophy 118 – set up Yorkshire’s victory by an innings and 75 runs when the Seconds welcomed Ireland A to a new-look St George’s Road, Harrogate.

With its impressive new pavilion barely finished - top marks for including a scorers’ room, bottom marks for having it face the secondary ground behind rather than the main one in front! - the ground looked much better than it has in recent years, although there is still much to be done in improving the infrastructure. Nevertheless, the sun shone...

Ireland A elected to bat first, and reached 260 before the innings ending shortly before 4pm. Wickets fell regularly, and no partnership bettered the eighth at 58: wicket-keeper Rory McCann was unbeaten, his top-scoring 40 contributing to the last four partnerships. The best Yorkshire bowling came from Moin Ashraf, who took 3-44 in three spells totalling 16 overs.

Yorkshire occupied the crease for the next three sessions. In the first, of 40 overs that evening, Brophy passed the century mark as he and Alex Lees put on 172 after Alex’s opening partner, Joe Sayers was caught at deep-fine-leg off the first ball he faced.

The second morning saw the best part of 150 added as Lees, too, passed 100 - but that paled into insignificance as 217 runs were rattled up in the afternoon session with Wainwright joining the band of centurions...and getting to within 20 of a double-century when he was caught.

The declaration came at the interval, setting Ireland a target of 277 to avoid the innings defeat, and Yorkshire captured three wickets before the close as the visitors strove to reduce the deficit by 120 runs. It was in vain.

An early start to the third day - requested by the Irish so that they could catch the early-evening flight- saw three wickets taken by James Wainman with a mere 10 runs added. A 45-run partnership restored a little faith in the batting, but Asraf - with two wickets in his second over of the day mirrored by Alex Lilley with two in his second over - finished the job 10 minutes before noon...in plenty of time for the flight.

We have a week’s break before the Wars of the Rosebuds take centre stage - the Trophy match against the old enemy at Bingley, followed by the Championship battle at Stamford Bridge. These will be sterner challenges than the Seconds were given by the Irishmen.

Words and Statistics: MICHAEL SNOOK

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