Nottinghamshire’s LV= County Championship fixture against Yorkshire ended in a draw on the fourth day, with the home side closing on 31 without loss in their second innings having been set 220 to win from just 24 overs.
Earlier Yorkshire, having lost the first session of the day to bad weather, reached 113-2 in the second innings before declaring just after tea.
The draw gives Notts ten points and maintains their unbeaten start to the season.
“We haven’t dominated the games but we’ve got ourselves into decent positions to take three wins out of four which leaves us in a very good position." Mick Newell
Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell feels that the results from the first quarter of the championship programme have been pleasing.
“We haven’t dominated the games but we’ve got ourselves into decent positions to take three wins out of four which leaves us in a very good position,” he said.
“It would be nice if we could dominate a game from start to finish but at the moment I’m quite satisfied with our start.
“Yorkshire were never going to declare this one at a stage where we could still win and when we did get a chance to bat, nine runs an over was unrealistic. Once we’d saved the follow-on on the third day, the draw was always the most likely outcome.”
Steady drizzle had prevented any play during the morning session and an early lunch was taken.
Yorkshire were able to resume their second innings at 1.20pm on their overnight score of 17-0.
Openers Adam Lyth and Joe Sayers played cautiously at first, with Luke Fletcher and Paul Franks sharing the initial bowling responsibilities. As the overhead conditions improved, so did the scoring rate and Ben Phillips’ introduction into the attack saw Lyth push the single that would take him to his second half century of the game.
On 52 however, he lofted Steven Mullaney to deep square leg, where Mark Wagh took a well-judged catch. After combining for a stand of 114 in the first innings, the Yorkshire openers had been parted at 92 second time around, with the wicket falling in the 35th over.
Only four more runs were added before Sayers also went. Samit Patel, from the Radcliffe Road end, got one to turn and clip the off bail to send the batsman back for 45.
Joe Root and Andrew Gale saw it through to tea at 106-2, an overall lead of 212 – with a nominal 33 overs remaining in the contest.
That equation was reduced during the 25 minutes after the break and Gale declared at 113-2.
Adil Rashid and Joe Root opened the bowling for Yorkshire, keen to improve their tardy over rate from the first innings to avoid being docked any points. Mark Wagh twice lofted Root over the long on boundary for sixes. Occasional bowlers Gerard Brophy and Adam Lyth also turned their arm briefly before the two captains agreed to bring the game to a halt with Wagh on 25 and Edwards on 6.