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Gautam Gambhir will captain India’s one-day squad in the West Indies with Suresh Raina as his deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2011Gautam Gambhir will lead a depleted Indian side to the limited-overs leg of the West Indies tour, with five first-choice players including Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni either rested or injured. As expected, the national selectors haven’t given much weightage to performances in the IPL, instead rewarding results in the more traditional domestic competitions. S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel muscled their way in helped by the weight of runs in both formats of the Ranji Trophy.R Vinay Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra made their way back, replacing Ashish Nehra (injured), Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla (both dropped). Praveen Kumar duly took his place back, having recovered from the elbow injury that had kept him out of the World Cup. He replaces Zaheer Khan, who has been rested.With five vacancies created – Virender Sehwag being the other – there had been some hype created around the IPL performers in the week leading to the selection meeting. The selectors seem to have learned from the debuts handed to Manpreet Gony and Ashok Dinda based on the first IPL, and also from RP Singh’s comeback based on the second IPL. As it turned out, the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Rahul Sharma missed out this time. Badrinath and Rohit were the two top run-getters in the Ranji Trophy first-class competition while Parthiv was the second-highest in the Ranji one-dayers. The exclusion of M Vijay – who has a highest of 33 in 11 ODI innings – makes Parthiv the likeliest candidate to open the innings with the captain, Gambhir.”I am confident that we will do well and win the series in the West Indies. The team is well balanced,” said Kris Srikkanth, India’s chairman of selectors. “Everything is on merit. It’s a great opportunity for a lot of players.”On tours, we always take two wicketkeepers. It’s a 16-member team and in case of a wicketkeeper getting injured, you have to understand the logistics [of getting a replacement to] in the West Indies [are complicated].”This is not Gambhir’s first shot at leading India – he was the captain when India beat New Zealand 5-0 in ODIs last year. The selectors are believed to be impressed with his leadership skills, and are likely to make him full-time vice-captain ahead of the slightly reluctant Sehwag, although they haven’t yet made any formal announcement to that effect.There was a minor surprise thrown up in the bowling department with Mishra getting in ahead of Pragyan Ojha as the third spinner. In his 16 ODIs – all but three of them against Sri Lanka, who are good players of spin – Ojha has given away runs at only 4.31 an over. However, he was injured before the World Cup and missed the first-class season as well. In the domestic one-dayers, Mishra, with 18 wickets from six games, outperformed Ojha, who managed five in five.Vinay and Ishant, who have been there or thereabouts, are the only ones to have benefited from good showings in the IPL. It can be argued, though, that they are not unknown commodities and their performances in the IPL have been more of reassurance than first notice. India also picked wicketkeeping cover for Parthiv, making Wriddhiman Saha the 16th member of the squad.India play one Twenty20 and five ODIs against the hosts beginning with the Twenty20 game on June 4.Squad: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha (wk).

A round-up of the first day of the third-round matches of Division Two of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2010Left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza and left-arm seamer Saad Altaf gave Pakistan Television the upper hand against Karachi Whites at the National Stadium in Karachi. The pair bagged nine wickets between them, Murtaza bagging his second five-for, as Karachi folded for 307. The hosts will be disappointed for going on to score something substantial, as three of their batsmen went past a half-century but none was able to convert it to three-figures. Opener and captain Khalid Latif made 91, Asif Zakar chipped in with 65 and supported Latif in a 122-run second-wicket stand while Asim Kamal, who has represented Pakistan, made 80. Karachi were going strong at 249 for 4 but lost their last six wickets for 58 as Murtaza and Altaf turned the tables. In reply, Pakistan Television were 4 without loss.The first day of the third-round contest between Hyderabad and State Bank of Pakistan at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad harkened back to the days of first-class cricket in the 1980s and 1990s. Only 179 runs were scored by Hyderabad in 84 overs, and just two wickets lost. Opener Azeem Ghumman, who led Pakistan in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, batted out the day for an unbeaten 73. He helped his team recover from an early loss, adding 86 with Aqeel Anjum and a further, unbeaten 79 with Rizwan Ahmed who is going strong with 48.Table-toppers Abbottabad, who have two wins from two games, put themselves in control against Lahore Ravi at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Opener Waqar Orakzai, playing his sixth first-class game, scored his maiden century and remained unbeaten to guide his team to 227 for 1 at stumps. Orazkai, who struck 13 fours, was assisted in an 81-run opening stand by Ghulam Mohammad, and Zia-ul-Haq batted patiently, consuming 193 balls for his unbeaten 48.Half-centuries from Hamza Paracha and Usman Salahuddin ensured the first day at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground went Lahore Shalimar’s way in their contest against bottom-placed Quetta. Opener Paracha top-scored with 85, supported by handy contributions from everyone else who followed. His opening partner Mohammad Hamza made 31 in a 60-run stand, Rana Adan helped add a further 48 while Salahuddin, who finished the day on 65 not out, took the total to 238 for 3 at stumps.A collective bowling effort from Khan Research Laboratories helped them bowl Peshawar out for 242 at the Sports Complex in Mardan. Nazir grabbed four wickets while each of the other bowlers took at least a wicket to strike at regular intervals. There was resistance from No.3 batsman Mohammad Fayyaz, who made 49, and chiefly from Sajjad Ahmed who top-scored with 65. At 112 for 6, though, it seemed Peshawar would fold for a score less than 200 but Riaz Afridi, with 44, helped them go past that mark. In a first-class game, KRL also bowled 23 wides, part of an extras tally of 36. In response, KRL lost an early wicket, Saeed Anwar jnr trapped in front by Afridi for zero.

New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum thinks his side’s greater experience of conditions in Mirpur could give them the edge over South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2011New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum thinks his side’s greater experience of conditions in Mirpur could give them the edge over South Africa in their quarter-final clash on Friday. New Zealand will have bitter memories of the ground – it was here that Bangladesh beat them in four successive one-day internationals in October last year – but those games will at least have given them in-depth local knowledge of what to expect.”We are used to the conditions, which has got to help us,” McCullum said. “To play South Africa in those conditions is not a bad draw at all. They obviously prefer a little more pace and bounce in their wickets. Dhaka won’t quite give them that and I’m sure they’ll be a little disappointed.”South Africa have also recently played at the ground, however, knocking co-hosts Bangladesh out of the World Cup with a thumping 206-run win last Saturday. In a ruthless performance, South Africa took the upper hand when they were allowed to acclimatise to the conditions by some wayward Bangladesh bowling and racked up 284 for 8. They then skittled their opponents for just 78.The scale of South Africa’s win over a team that had the better of New Zealand not long ago could have given New Zealand cause for concern, but McCullum insisted his team’s focus is on achieving their own goals, rather than what tactics their opponents might use.”Our game plan is reasonably basic,” he said. “Be pretty disciplined with the ball, incredibly desperate in the field and with the bat lay the platform for the big hitters later on. If we do that we’ll give ourselves the best opportunity.” If New Zealand can do that, McCullum suggested, “hopefully, South Africa will fall by the wayside and we can move on to our next opponent”.New Zealand will no doubt also draw confidence from their World Cup record against South Africa, to whom they have not lost a match in the global tournament since 1999. New Zealand have also made it to the semi-finals of the event on five occasions, a fact their seamer Daryl Tuffey said gave them a mental edge.”We know their [South Africa’s] record at World Cups and it will be in the back of their minds that they haven’t progressed as well as they should have,” Tuffey said. “For us, we’ve made it to the semi-finals regularly here.””We know what the conditions are like. It’ll be a slow track taking turn and both teams know what to expect. The Dhaka wicket is slow and low which negates their main strength with bounce, but they have some good spinners at this tournament, as do we; so it’ll come down to the middle overs and at the death.”Tuffey was a member of the touring squad that was humiliated by Bangladesh last year, and said the quarter-final was a chance to put right those failures and improve New Zealand’s record at the ground. “This is a chance to right the wrongs from October, especially the way we batted on those slow decks,” he said. “Hopefully we’ve done enough to get into a mindset of doing well.”

A round-up of the first round of matches in the Logan Cup

Cricinfo staff09-Sep-2010
Scorecard
Mountaineers’ Bernard Mlambo was one of Njabulo Ncube’s four victims in the first innings•Zimbabwe CricketMark Vermeulen’s unbeaten century guided Mountaineers to a five-wicket victory over Matabeleland Tuskers in Bulawayo on the final afternoon after fast bowler Shingirai Masakadza’s five-wicket haul on the third day had left them with 249 runs to chase.Mountaineers were in some trouble at 78 for 3 but a 114-run stand between Vermeulen and Prosper Utseya steadied the innings. After Utseya’s dismissal, Vermeulen kept his cool to steer his side to a win in what could have become a tense chase.Masakadza, who made his one-day and T20 debut against West Indies earlier this year, set up the chase with impressive bowling in Tuskers’ second innings. He first reduced them to 26 for 3, including the big wicket of Charles Coventry, and then returned to take three of the last four wickets as Tuskers were dismissed for 243. That total was possible largely due to Keegan Meth’s aggressive 94.The match had been reduced to a second-innings battle after both teams were dismissed within five runs of each other in the first innings. Coventry’s century in an otherwise uninspiring performance took Tuskers to 267, legspinner Natsai Mushangwe taking 4 for 68. Njabulo Ncube and Chris Mpofu ensured Mountaineers didn’t cross that total, taking seven wickets between themselves as Mountaineers were bowled out for 262.Mountaineers earned six points for their win to go to the top of the table while Tuskers got a point for taking the first innings lead.A last-wicket stand of 20 enabled Mashonaland Eagles to take the first-innings lead against Southern Rocks and earn themselves a point in a drawn game dominated by batsmen at the Masvingo Sports Club.Forster Mutizwa had played a captain’s innings of 114 but his side still needed 14 runs to overhaul Rocks’ total of 325 when the last pair of Tinotenda Mutombodzi and Mark Mbofana came together. Mutombodzi ensured his team went ahead and Eagles finally declared on 331 for 9. He had earlier taken 5 for 97 with his legspin, including the wicket of top-scorer Chamu Chibhabha for 85.After conceding the slender lead, Rocks piled on the runs in the second innings, eventually declaring on 449 for 5. Tatenda Taibu was unbeaten on 153 while former Kenya captain Steve Tikolo and Steve Marillier missed out on centuries, both getting dismissed in the nineties. Eagles batted for less than five overs in their second innings before the match was called off.

West Bromwich Albion have endured a fairly miserable campaign in the Championship this season in terms of their results and performances at times.

With 45 games played, the Baggies have won just 17, drawn 13 and lost 15, highlighting just how up-and-down they’ve been throughout the season.

Despite securing a 1-0 win over Reading last time out, the Midlands club didn’t come away from Saturday’s game completely unscathed.

What’s the news?

After playing throughout the first 45 minutes, Baggies full-back Conor Townsend was replaced by Zac Ashworth at half-time due to a suspected injury.

Speaking after the match to Birmingham Mail, West Brom manager Steve Bruce had this to say regarding Townsend’s injury: “He twisted his ankle just before half-time and he will have scans and we’ll see how he is.”

It is just the latest injury blow in a regrettable campaign at The Hawthorns which has also seen the likes of Dara O’Shea and Daryl Dike fall victim to long-term absences.

Taking into account how Townsend has started all 43 league games in which he has appeared in this season, it’s clear that he is an important figure for the team, and his absence will be a big blow for them.

Throughout the campaign, the 29-year-old has shown his versatility by playing in three different positions on the pitch when required, delivering two assists while doing so.

To further highlight how vital he is for the Baggies, no other West Brom player can match the number of crosses (181) or tackles (50) that Townsend has to his name.

Worrying for Bruce

Not only has Townsend played more minutes in the league this season than any of his team-mates, his overall performances have also shown what a solid player he is.

As per WhoScored, the defender has earned himself an overall season rating of 6.84/10, making him the fourth-highest rated West Brom player to have started more than 30 league games.

Even though the end of the season is almost upon us, it will still be worrying news for Bruce in terms of what the severity of Townsend’s injury could be, especially with another season in the Championship on the way for the Baggies.

Everyone at the Midlands club will surely be hoping for the best in terms of the defender’s recovery time and will be eager to see him get back out on the pitch as soon as possible.

In other news – Forget Grant: “Energetic” 88-touch West Brom dynamo stole the show against Reading

Paul Collingwood had no qualms about spelling out where the balance of power now lay after England took a 2-0 lead against Australia

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010Confidence is surging through the veins of England’s cricketers both on and off the field as they sit with a 2-0 series lead over Australia. Paul Collingwood, who became his country’s leading one-day runscorer during the victory at Cardiff, called for the team to “go hard” before this series started and had no qualms about spelling out where the balance of power now lay.”We’re confident every time we go out and play Australia. It’s not arrogance. We are now confident we can beat anyone in one-day cricket on any given day,” he said. “If you look at Australia’s record over the last year or so they still have that air of invincibility, because they haven’t lost many games. But we are the better side at the moment.”The side that Collingwood debuted in during the 2001 season lost all six matches in the NatWest Series against Australia and Pakistan – just one many limited-overs debacles – but this current unit are a far cry from the callow one-day teams that England have often fielded. They have now stitched together a seven-game winning streak which is their longest since 1997-98 and are on the verge of gaining revenge for last summer’s 6-1 hammering against Australia which followed the Ashes.Collingwood’s new-found aggression with the bat matches England’s ‘no fear’ approach to the one-day game which began at last year’s Champions Trophy, continued through South Africa and culminated in winning the World Twenty20 in West Indies last month.”After they hammered us last year we all thought we had to do something about it. We are a much better team now,” said Collingwood. “But we want to be the best one-day side in the world and we want to win the World Cup next year – and as we stand, we are a long way down in the rankings.”Collingwood’s ascent to become England’s leading one-day runscorer after surpassing Alec Stewart during his 48 on Thursday is yet to fully sink in for him. He now holds England’s runs and caps record having overtaken Stewart’s appearance mark last year, something few would have imagined when he barely made an impression during his debut series.”It was a huge surprise to me when they announced it on the tannoy – and I think there were quite a few Australians out there who were even more surprised than me,” said Collingwood. “It put a smile on my face. To know you have scored more runs in one-day cricket than any other Englishman is a lovely feeling.”Collingwood’s innings, which formed an important stand alongside Eoin Morgan as England chased down 240, was his first significant score of the season after he sat out the Bangladesh Test series as part of the squad rotation policy following the World Twenty20. He made a scratchy 11 in the opening game at The Rose Bowl and was beginning to fret over the need to make a contribution.”I’ve felt a bit rusty so far this summer,” he said. “I went into the match at Cardiff thinking ‘I need to start playing well again, I need a bit of confidence’.”Then they announced I’d broken Stewie’s record and I thought to myself ‘why do you worry so much?’ Alec Stewart was a great player, and sometimes you have to pinch yourself to believe that you’re playing for England – let alone overtaking someone like him.”It’s all a bit surreal at times. I was thinking ‘surely not me?’ I knew I had overtaken Stewie’s number of appearances – but his runs? Are you kidding me?”

A round-up of the second day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2010Tamil Nadu’s bowlers successfully defended a modest total, dismissing Goa for 108 after their batsmen had earlier managed 127 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.Swapnil Asnodkar had given Goa a good start, and at 57 for 1 in the tenth over, they were in control. However, S Vidyut was stumped by Dinesh Karthik, and Abhinav Mukund then took two wickets with the first two deliveries of his only over to reduce Goa to 57 for 4. Fast bowler Yo Mahesh ran through the lower order, taking 4 for 23 as Goa collapsed to lose by 19 runs.Tamil Nadu had earlier suffered a similar mid-innings stutter, stumbling to 69 for 4 from 59 for 1, left-arm spinner Sher Yadav taking 3 for 15. However, S Badrinath took his side to a reasonable score, which ultimately proved beyond Goa.Mayank Agarwal and Ganesh Satish took Karnataka to a six-wicket victory against Andhra at the Gymkhana Ground after their bowlers had kept Andhra down to 143.Venugopal Rao made 58 off 41 deliveries after Andhra had lost their openers cheaply to B Akhil. However, Rao’s run out in the late stages of the innings hurt Andhra.Manish Pandey fell in the first over of the Karnataka innings, but Agarwal – who was the top run-scorer in the recent Karnataka Premier League – and Satish added 95 runs in 66 deliveries to set up the chase. Agarwal was the more aggressive of the two, smashing four sixes and as many fours in his 57 off 31 balls. Satish anchored the innings with his 52 off 48.An unbeaten half-century from captain Raiphi Gomez led Kerala to an emphatic eight-wicket win against Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, as they made short work of the target of 149.Coming in after Abhishek Hegde had fallen early, Gomez added an unbeaten 94 runs in 78 deliveries for the third wicket with Robert Fernandez. Hyderabad used seven bowlers but to no avail, as Kerala cantered to victory with eight balls to spare.Left-arm spinner P Prasanth’s 2 for 17 had earlier restricted Hyderabad to 148 for 5. The first three Hyderabad batsmen scored thirties but none went on to play a big knock.

Warwickshire’s bowlers put in a solid shift in sweat and drive but could not do enough to undermine Yorkshire’s resolve, even on a pitch that never allowed a batsman to feel entirely comfortable

05-Jul-2010
ScorecardAn unbroken half-century partnership between Alistair Brown and Chris Read enabled title-chasing Nottinghamshire to gain the upper hand of their Championship duel against Essex at Chelmsford.By stumps they had put on 54 in 13 overs to carry their side to 126 for 5 in reply to an Essex total of 154 all out that represented something of a recovery after they had lost half their side for 45.Their problems began in the fourth over of the morning when John Maunders was needlessly run out attempting a single. Jaik Mickleburgh was bowled by Charlie Shreck soon afterwards before Andre Adams plunged the home side into further trouble when he removed Billy Godleman and Matt Walker in the same over.He did so by finding enough swing and lift to discover the edge and wicketkeeper Read did the rest. Paul Franks then got rid of Tom Westley, again with the help of the impressive Read who went on to claim six victims in an innings for the seventh time in his career.Tim Phillips did his best to keep the Essex innings afloat after entering the battle with the score on 69 for 6. His concentration and careful shot selection enabled him to gather a valuable unbeaten 46 that contained seven boundaries.His biggest support came from Maurice Chambers, the pair putting together a stand of 34 for the final wicket which represented the highest of the innings. Shreck and Franks finished with 3 for 40 and 3 for 20 respectively while Adams’ two successes came at a cost of 26.While Chambers performed doggedly with the bat, it was with the new ball that he made the biggest impact, his hostility and swing quickly putting Nottinghamshire on the back foot.He struck in his opening over by getting rid of Bilal Shafayat with an lbw decision and then bowled Alex Hales.He later trapped Steve Mullaney leg before and so often did he pass the outside edge that he could consider himself unlucky not to have claimed further successes. The other two wickets to fall were picked up by left-arm spinner Phillips. Mark Wagh fell lbw while Samit Patel was caught at short leg by Godleman while pushing forward.Nottinghamshire found themselves in trouble at 72 for 5 before they gained the initiative through Brown and Read. Read completed a highly successful day’s work by reaching the close on 31 which included a straight driven six at the expense of Phillips.Brown will resume on 30 with Nottinghamshire seeking another 29 to move into a first-innings lead. An absorbing opening day finished with Chambers having claimed 3 for 49 and Phillips 2 for 17.

Tottenham Hotspur could secure a big upgrade to Dele Alli before the January transfer window deadline on Monday…

What’s the word?

In a new exciting claim, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler has emerged as a potential target for Spurs in the final few days remaining.

“Draxler is a name that keeps cropping up in conversations I have with people about Spurs. If they look for a player exchange with PSG, then he looks like one of the offers on the table,” transfer insider Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT this week.

Meanwhile, 90min have claimed that the German international is open to a loan move to north London in a move that could see either Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli go in the other way.

Bye-bye Alli

The writing has been on the wall for the Englishman for quite some time now and it appears as if the Spurs hierarchy has grown tired of putting their faith in him to turn things around.

He along with the aforementioned club-record signing and Giovani Lo Celso are all thought to be available for moves before Monday.

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Alli has been mooted with several different teams across the Premier League, including Newcastle United and Everton, as well as Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

The 25-year-old has now struggled under three different managers since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, and across the last two seasons, he has been limited to only 15 league starts, in which he’s contributed one goal and one assist.

A stark contrast to the 2016/17 campaign, where he provided 18 goals and seven assists, also via WhoScored, and that led to lofty comparisons to players like Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard.

Draxler may no longer be the sort of player that once cost PSG around £40m from Wolfsburg but the World Cup winner is still a far better option than Alli.

His former teammate at the Bundesliga side, Josuha Guilavogui, once likened his playing style to Zinedine Zidane and that’s exactly the sort of midfielder Antonio Conte needs right now.

“In the way he controls the ball, he reminds me of Zidane. His stepovers too. He’s not particularly quick, but he’s able to dribble past any opponent,” Guilavogui told L’Equipe (via ESPN). “He’s able to control the ball wonderfully. Even at full stretch, he still manages to keep the ball close to him.”

Valued at £18m, the German has still directly contributed towards 66 goals across 189 appearances, which works out at a rate of once every 160 minutes.

The attacking midfield dynamo, once dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by ex-Schalke chief Horst Heldt, is leagues clear of Alli and he is the sort of vastly experienced winner that Conte would dream about signing for Spurs as they look to battle for the top four this season.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

Nottinghamshire are back on top of the First Division but felt robbed nonetheless after wet weather came to Yorkshire’s aid and denied them the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the rest as the race for the County Championship enters its

Jon Culley at Headingley06-Aug-2010
ScorecardNottinghamshire are back on top of the First Division but felt robbed nonetheless after wet weather came to Yorkshire’s aid and denied them the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the rest as the race for the County Championship enters its decisive phase.Yorkshire were eight down and only 39 runs ahead at tea on the last day, with 34 overs still left in the day’s schedule. But heavy rain meant no further play was possible. With five matches left against Yorkshire’s four, the Trent Bridge side’s five-point advantage makes them favourites, although Somerset – only eight points behind Yorkshire – remain contenders and they might yet pose the greater threat.But Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, did not pretend the comfort of a bigger cushion would have been preferable, particularly with Somerset at home next week while his side sits out a round.Nottinghamshire do have one advantage in that three of their remaining matches are at home, where they have tended to play their best cricket. Bottom of the table Warwickshire are due at Trent Bridge on August 16.By then, Nottinghamshire will hope to have clarified the future of their England fast bowler, Ryan Sidebottom, who has yet to sign a new contract offer. The left-armer’s current deal expires at the end of this season and Sussex are believed to be in the hunt should he leave Nottingham, where he is holding out for a longer deal.Sidebottom indicated this week that he would like “to see out my career with Nottinghamshire” and Newell said that the parties hoped to reach an agreement after Twenty20 finals day.”You could see by the way Ryan bowled in this match that there is no doubt about his commitment when he wears a Nottinghamshire shirt. This will probably be the final contract of Ryan’s career and we feel we have made him a good offer, although there is sticking point over the length of the deal.”Newell said the result at Headingley left the race for the title in the balance. “It is frustrating because we had a chance to open up a 20-point lead, although everyone has at least one game a season in which they feel they were robbed. A lead of five points at this stage is neither here nor there and we need to start winning games.”Yorkshire’s plan had been to bat through the day but it was a risky strategy, given that they did not have the cushion of runs in the bank were Nottinghamshire’s bowling to prove more effective than it had been on day three.They resumed still 95 in arrears and, while eight wickets in hand gave them a degree of security, under cloud cover and with rain in the air there was always the danger that a couple of good balls early on could give fresh impetus to the visitors.Yet Yorkshire showed no inclination to hurry, mindful perhaps that the weather might come to their aid in accounting at least for a few overs. Steve Patterson, the nightwatchman, had a job to do and applied himself diligently, but Anthony McGrath lasted only five overs before playing back to a ball from Darren Pattinson that deviated late enough to catch the edge of his defensive bat and fly into the gloves of Chris Read behind the stumps. It left McGrath still 20 short of joining Adam Lyth and Jacques Rudolph in completing 1,000 first-class runs for the season.Incoming batsman Andrew Gale continued Yorkshire’s defensive plan. An hour and 35 minutes passed before there was a four scored off the bat – the one previous boundary was in leg-byes -and it was Patterson who claimed it, steering a ball from Ryan Sidebottom through the gully area.But the possibility of the plan backfiring began to gather strength just before lunch as Gale, seeking to meet a delivery from Sidebottom with a firm push, somehow hit himself on the foot with his bat and the ball ended up in the hands of the bowler. Sidebottom appealed and the umpire’s raised finger confirmed that the ball had come off Gale’s bat and the Yorkshire captain departed, limping.The morning session had produced only 53 runs in 30 overs, with just that one boundary, but the statistic of more concern was that Yorkshire, while only four down, were still 42 short of requiring Nottinghamshire to bat again, let alone have something of substance to chase.It had been a good effort by Patterson, but his vigilance was exhausted 10 minutes after lunch when Mark Wagh snapped up a bat-pad catch at silly mid-off as the nightwatchman tried to work left-arm spinner Samit Patel into the leg side, and when Jonathan Bairstow drove down the wrong line to Sidebottom, alarm bells began to ring for the home side.Six down and still 31 behind, the potential for embarrassment was now very real and it was perverse, in a way, after what had gone before, that Bairstow’s departure prefaced a stand between Adil Rashid and Gerard Brophy that, by comparison, was positively expansive.Rashid’s instincts are clearly curbed less easily. The stroke-playing leg-spinner picked up five boundaries – off Andre Adams, Patel and Paul Franks – from some meaty drives through the off side, which at least put Yorkshire in front.But when Sidebottom had Brophy caught behind after tempting the wicketkeeper to drive a ball just short of a length, and then had Shahzad caught by Adams at gully, Yorkshire were 406 for 8 and facing the prospect of trying to survive a minimum of 34 overs in the final session – probably more – with a lead of only 39.Happily for them – frustratingly for Nottinghamshire – rain was already falling as they left the field and continued long enough to make mopping up time to resume impossible.