Adil Rashid took 5-37 to add to his 6-77 in the first innings to claim match figures of 11-114 as Yorkshire secured victory by 9 wickets inside three days at New Road to claim 22 points. Gerard Brophy's chanceless 177 not out in Yorkshire's first innings halted a collapse and put Yorkshire firmly in the driiving seat.

(PHOTO: Adil Rashid acknowledges the crowd after taking 11 wickets in the match)

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Day 3 Match Highlights	CLICK HERE
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Gerard Brophy interview after Day 2	CLICK HERE
Adil Rashid interview after Day 3	CLICK HERE

 

DAY THREE REPORT

Adil Rashid took 5-37 to add to his 6-77 in the first innings to claim match figures of 11-114 as Yorkshire secured a victory inside three days at New Road by 9 wickets to claim 22 points.

It was the first time Rashid has taken 10 wickets or more in a match, Worcestershire lost their last 6 wickets for 17 runs to capitulate to 137 all out and leave Yorkshire requiring only 56 runs to win.

Although Joe Sayers fell lbw for 2 to Richardson, Adam Lyth (29) and Joe Root (21, including a glorious pulled six for which he appeared to have so much time) saw the Tykes over the line and a near perfect start to the summer.

Rashid had dismissed Damien Wright with the fifth ball of his 9th over at which point tea was taken. He returned after the break to take the wicket of Matt Mason, after his heroics on Friday, for a first ball duck. Rashid then had to wait for Ryan Sidebottom to complete an over before he resumed on a hat-trick. That milestone did not happen as Richardson kept the ball out, but fell four balls later, bowled by Rashid for 0.

Rashid's first 3 overs cost 27 runs after Alexei Kervezee decided that the best form of defence was attack and Andrew Gale deserves great credit for keeping his spinner on. Rashid repaid the faith by claiming 5-10 in 40 balls, the last 3 wickets without conceding a run.

Worcestershire started their second innings 82 runs adrift. They made it safely through to lunch at 20-0, but Ryan Sidebottom made the initial breakthrough in the third over after the break, taking the important wicket of the dangerous James Camerson, lbw for 9 to make the score 21-1.

With the score on 49, Steve Patterson trapped Daryl Mitchell on his crease lbw for 28 in his 8th over.  Sidebottom had Vikram Solanki caught behind by Jonny Bairstow as he flicked airily at a ball down the leg-side. Worcestershire were 53-3, still 29 runs behind, and Solanki was furious with himself, self-admonishing all the way back to the dressing room.

Andrew Gale resisted the temptation to introduce Rashid into the attack until the 21st over, but the leg-spinner, after taking some early tap, ended a dangerous stand of 49 between Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee, Ali nicking a ball onto his pad which bobbled up into the hands of Adam Lyth to reduce Worcestershire to 102-4 and a lead of only 21 runs.

Matt Pardoe was dropped by Jonny Bairstow when on 0 off the bowling of Rashid, but the miss did not prove costly when Pardoe succumbed without scoring to the leg-spinner a couple of overs later, caught by Adam Lyth to make the score 120-5.

Steve Patterson claimed the 6th Worcestershire wicket when he had Gareth Andrew caught behind by Jonny Bairstow (121-6) and added his 3rd of the innings when the dangerous Kervezee, who had seemed to be standing between Yorkshire and a victory within three days. Patterson ended with 3-43 and was instrumental in starting the Worcestershire collapse in the afternoon session.

Kervezee was caught behind by Jonny Bairstow for 52 off 53 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six to leave Worcestershire 132-7, but effectively 50-7 and in dire straits. It was over to Rashid to put the Pears out of their misery.

Earlier Gerard Brophy added 53 to his overnight tally to end on 177 not out from 273 balls and just 8 short of his highest ever first-class score. He hit 24 fours and 1 six to take Yorkshire to 368 all out and a 1st innings lead of 82. Brophy continued where he had left off on Saturday, reaching his 150 from 249 balls, bringing up the landmark with a cheeky reverse sweep to the fence off Moeen Ali. It's certainly the best your cricket reporter has seen Brophy play - majestic through all 5 hours and 49 minutes of his stay at the crease.

Yorkshire lost Ryan Sidebottom when he was bowled by Matt Mason for a career best 61 with the score 304. Steve Patterson scored 10 before being trapped lbw to Moeen Ali to make the score 325-9.

Moin Ashraf played his best innings for Yorkshire, although he was eventually out for a duck, lbw to Gareth Andrew. Ashraf survived for 31 minutes to allow Brophy to open his shoulders and Yorkshire to add 43 for the 10th wicket - all off Brophy's bat.

It has to be said that Worcestershire did little in the last day-and-a-half of this match to prove the bookies wrong. At 1/20 to be relegated they seem resigned to the drop before the summer is in full swing. There will certainly be tougher tasks ahead for Andrew Gale's side.

JAMES BUTTLER at New Road, Worcester.  

DAY 2 REPORT

Gerard Brophy began his 2011 Benefit Season in style with a flawless century, his highest score for Yorkshire, to rescue the Tykes on Day 2 at New Road. The 35-year-old, playing in this match as a specialist batsman, reached his ton in 168 balls with 15 fours.

He entered the scene with the score at 73-4 and will resume tomorrow on 118 not out alongside Ryan Sidebottom (50 not out), with whom he has added 129 for the 8th wicket. Yorkshire are 284-7 overnight.

Yorkshire had made a decent start, racing to 40-0, with Adam Lyth looking to be positive in reply to Worcestershire's 286 all out yesterday. Hoping to survive the first session intact and then make hay this afternoon Plan B was quickly called upon as wickets began to tumble.

Adam Lyth made a fine 35 from 37 balls including 6 fours before he was induced to a speculative prod to a Damien Wright delivery and was caught behind by Cox when the score was 40. Joe Root was tentative on debut and had safely survived 11 balls before edging to Solanki at first slip off Gareth Andrew for a duck. There will be many more chances for the Sheffield youngster.

Joe Sayers had been his obdurate best making 15 from 87 balls. He had just played one of the juciest cover drives imaginable when a defensive push found the edge and he was caught by Daryl Mitchell at slip off Matt Mason.

Andrew Gale was joined by Jonny Bairstow, but the pair had added only 10 before Bairstow was induced into a loose drive off Mason that also found Mitchell at slip to take the score to 73-4.

At 97-4 at lunch there would have been some jitters in the Yorkshire dressing room and those were not eased when Gale, who had looked in good touch for his 27 from 43 balls with 4 fours, was caught behind off the bowling of Wright shortly after the break – Yorkshire were teetering at 104-5. Matters deteriorated further when Adil Rashid was caught in the gully by Gareth Andrew off Wright for 4. Yorkshire were shaking perilously at 120-6.

Richard Pyrah, who had played a well organised innings of 19, fell lbw in Moeen Ali's first over after he and Brophy had added 35 for the 7th wicket. The pair's stand had started to look ominous for Worcestershire and Pyrah will have been disappointed not to have capitalised on his own hard work where he played straight and correctly and appeared to have weathered the storm.

At tea Yorkshire had recovered to 197-7.  Brophy reached his fifty from 88 balls and with 8 fours and ploughed on with Ryan Sidebottom after the pair came together at 155-7, when still 131 runs behind Worcestershire's first innings total of 286. Brophy was immaculate, particularly impressive when driving straight.

Sidebottom reached his fifty from 153 balls and hit 9 fours and his contribution has been invaluable.

JAMES BUTTLER from New Road, Worcester

DAY ONE REPORT

It was Adil Rashid’s day taking 6-77 at New Road as Worcestershire crumbled from 91-1 to 286 all out.

Some spirited hitting by Matt Mason frustrated the Tykes. Mason and Richardson added 68 for the 10th wicket. Mason went to his fifty off 46 balls when he pulled Ryan Sidebottom over mid-wicket for 6, bringing up the fifty partnership in just 9 overs. Mason equalled his highest score for Worcestershire, but Patterson ended proceedings for the day when he fielded off his own bowling at cover, turned and threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end to effect the run out and end the recovery.

Relegation favourites, Worcestershire, who were 1/20 with the bookies for the drop ahead of the day's play, weathered the new ball with apparent ease, but Rashid changed the game. There was little evidence of turn for the 23-year-old leg-spinner, he used flight, dip and a clever change of pace to baffle the Worcester batsmen.

It had threatened to be Worcestershire's morning when they were coasting along at 91-1 thanks to an opening stand of 43 between James Carmeron and Daryl Mitchell.

Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson shared the new ball without much joy. Only a half chance from Cameron was dropped by Joe Sayers at second slip when the Worcestershire batsman was on 10 and the score 18. Sayers bounced back later to take three catches and he looked extremely energetic in the field. It's good to see him back.

Rashid's introduction to the attack in the 21st over was sign that the New Road pitch had given little help to the Yorkshire seam attack. The only moment of joy for the Tykes pace attack was when Ryan Sidebottom claimed his first first-class wicket of his second stint in Yorkshire colours when he uprooted Cameron's off-stump with the last ball of the 11th over. There was much Yorkshire applause from a 2,000 strong crowd who are enjoying the sun and the fact that cricket was at last back on the calendar.

Mitchell and Solanki moved the score along comfortably until Adil Rashid struck twice to reduce Worcestershire to 96-3 at lunch. Vikram Solanki (15) had a rush of blood, gave the leg-spinner the charge, but failed to clear Joe Sayers at mid-on who took a comfortable catch. Then Mitchell was trapped in front by Rashid for 49 from 83 balls including 4 fours. He had deserved his half century, playing well around the wicket and dominating the Tykes attack.

Rashid struck again in the third over after the break to dismiss Alexei Kervezee for 4. Kervezee was caught in two minds and then caught at mid-wicket as Joe Sayers dived forward to take the catch. Rashid had taken 3-5 in the course of 5 overs.

Played at the beautiful Worcester ground no one present could have asked for a better April 8 for season's opener. Any critics of the season commencing so early must be tackling their words with a knife and fork and a slice of humble pie - but that's the British weather for you.

Steve Patterson got himself off the wicket-taking mark for the summer when he had Moeen Ali caught behind by Jonny Bairstow for 18. Ali offered a specultive drive which took the edge and reduced Worcestershire to 129-5. At tea Worcestershire had progressed to 161-5 with Andrew and Pardoe both on 22 runs.

Pardoe and Gareth Andrew (26) added 62 for the 6th wicket, but their resistance was broken when Ryan Sidebottom induced an edge which was taken at 1st slip by Joe Sayers. A few balls later Andrew was bowled by Adil Rashid to give him his fourth wicket and reduce Worcestershire to 197-7.

Rashid had Damien Wright caught by Joe Root at short-leg for a duck and then Cox (10) who was caught at short-leg by Joe Root for 10 to make the score 218-9. Steve Patterson's run out of Matt Mason denied Rashid his career best figures, which were previously 7-107.

It was a big day for Joe Root who makes his Championship debut and Moin Ashraf also plays after an impressive pre-season and dramatic end to the previous summer. Anthony McGrath failed to return to fitness in time and David Wainwright and Oliver Hannon-Dalby will share 12th Man duties.

JAMES BUTTLER at New Road, Worcester

1. Joe Sayers, 2. Adam Lyth, 3. Joe Root, 4. Andrew Gale (c), 5. Jonny Bairstow (+), 6. Gerard Brophy, 7. Adil Rashid, 8. Richard Pyrah, 9. Ryan Sidebottom, 10. Steve Patterson, 11. Moin Ashraf. 

JOE ROOT INCLUDED IN 14-MAN SQUAD FOR WORCESTER

Joe Root makes the team coach, as does Moin Ashraf, but there is no place for Gary Ballance who made a century in the 2-day practice match at Headingley Carnegie this week. The sublime form that Joe Root showed on the pre-season tour of Barbados appears to have caught Martyn Moxon and Andrew Gale's eye and won the day.

The chances are that Root will only play on Friday if Anthony McGrath (who travels) fails to recover from injury. 

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

Adam LYTH, Joe SAYERS, Joe ROOT, Andrew GALE (c), Jonathan BAIRSTOW (wk), Anthony McGRATH, Gerard BROPHY, Adil RASHID, Richard PYRAH, Ryan SIDEBOTTOM, Steve PATTERSON, Oliver HANNON-DALBY, Moin ASHRAF and DAVID WAINWRIGHT.

WORCESTERSHIRE TEAM

D K H Mitchell (c), J G Cameron, V S Solanki, M M Ali, A N Kervezee, M G Pardoe, G M Andrew, O B Cox (wk), D G Wright, M S Mason, A Richardson and J D Shantry. 

MATCH PREVIEW

Yorkshire captain, Andrew Gale, heads to Worcester on Thursday knowing that his side's promising showing in 2010 has lifted the bar ahead of the 2011 season. Gale made much of the underdog tag after bookies and pundits alike labelled the Tykes relegation favourites in last year’s LV= County Championship.

Last summer the war spirit engendered by being written off united a side whose major asset is the bond most shared from growing up together through Yorkshire’s successful age-group and Academy structures. In 2011 only John Blain (Scotland), Gerard Brophy (South Africa), Gary Ballance (Zimbabwe but a Yorkshire player since Academy level) and Azeem Rafiq (Pakistan, but raised in Barnsley) were born outside of the county boundary. They know each other inside out and trust each other implicitly, and their captain

Another major plus was Yorkshire's never say die attitude and a new found ability to keep their heel on opposition throats when on top. The frustrations of letting their catch wriggle off the hook were never as evident last summer.

So as the 2011 season gets underway the opposing teams have more respect for the White Rose County and Gale’s wish to be competitive with the best will be tested.

As we’ve seen in recent years a good start can catapult a side into believing they can ride the wave all summer long. There is no question that the Yorkshire side have that belief, but as always at this time of year there are more questions than answers.

• Can the runs scored by Jacques Rudolph be found elsewhere?
• Will Joe Sayers (and it’s great to see him back) recapture his best form and to some extent fill Jacques shoes and remain fit all summer?
• How is the loss of Rudolph counterbalanced by the recapture of Ryan Sidebottom – a bowler who really does have the ball on a string and the ability to tie the very best batsmen in knots?
• Will Adam Lyth be as prolific in 2011 or will second season syndrome strike?
• How often will we see Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad in a Yorkshire shirt?
• Will the plethora of young talent continue to bloom?
• Can Yorkshire win those important passages of play – the match swingers – that they got so adept and confident at taking last year?
• Exactly how talented are the Yorkshire youngsters and how quickly can they settle into the 1st Team if they get their chance?
• And (in a very small voice) can we win a trophy? 

I’m sure you’ve got your own questions and this is what makes cricket so engrossing – the game is not a simple predictable one!

I, for one, cannot wait to get started...

JAMES BUTTLER

THE OPPOSITION

The trip to Worcester is arguably the perfect start, apart from being one if the best crciket watching grounds in the country.

Relegated in 2009 and bouncing back last summer, Worcestershire will have one immediate priority – to avoid yoyoing back into Division 2 again. They will have their own hopes like everyone else starting on zero runs and wickets and with a full season’s points to fight for.

Moeen Ali, Alexie Kervezee and captain Daryl Mitchell passed a thousand first-class runs in 2010 and Vikram Solanki’s retrun of 717 runs at 26.55 underestimates his potential contribution. The wickets were shared throughout their bowling attack with 35-year-old Alan Richardson the highest wicket taker with 55 at 24.40 apiece.

Captain, Daryl Mitchell, will have his work cut out to combine the talents of his side to be more than the sum of their parts.

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT NEW ROAD BETWEEN WCCC v YCCC

16-19 June 2009.
Worcestershire 1st inns: 415ao (S Davies 112, D Mitchell 68, S Moore 60, D Kruis 3-65)
Yorkshire 1st inns: 516ao (A Gale 101, A Rafiq 100, T Bresnan 97, C Whelan 4-130)
Worcestershire 2nd inns: 203-3
MATCH DRAWN

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Yorkshire's Director of Professional Cricket, Martyn Moxon, hit the highest score by a Yorkshireman at New Road in 1994 - 274 not out.

TWITTER FEED - 'INTERESTING' WORCESTER FACTS

We asked you through the @yorkshire_ccc official Twitter feed what interesting facts you could come up with about the Worcester and Worcestershire CCC. These are the 5 best facts you came up with:

• King John is buried in Worcester Cathedral, whereas Robin Hood was a Yorkie
• There is apparently a secret passage leading from the New Road ground to the Long Stop public house
• Sir Edward Elgar used to cycle from near Worcester to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Worcester Sauce is pretty good
• Worcestershire CCC’s lowest team total was in 1903 against Yorkshire CCC - they made 24 all out