By Gary Watton
April 22 2018

After the total obliteration of the opening fixture against the champions of Essex on account of the rain, Yorkshire finally got their 2018 County Championship campaign under way avec a fine win, albeit in a depressingly low-scoring encounter. As a consequence the Tykes have already gone top of the County Championship. Whether this is a false position for a team beset by brittle batting remains to be seen.

YORKSHIRE versus Nottinghamshire; in Leeds; Friday the twentieth to Monday the 23rd of April; Nottinghamshire chose to bowl.

YORKSHIRE first innings: 256 (Hodd 62; Fletcher 4-47, Gurney 3-46)

Nottinghamshire first innings: 188 (Taylor 57; Coad 4-49, Brooks 3-58)

YORKSHIRE second innings: 334 (Ballance 82, Bresnan 68*; Ball 3-69, Gurney 3-86)

Nottinghamshire second innings: 238 (Coad 6-81)

YORKSHIRE won by 164 runs. YORKSHIRE 21 points, Nottinghamshire three points.

Lyth - Scores of 45 and twelve aren't going to win many matches. Adam needs to lead the way with a substantial innings. He did chip in with a couple of fine catches.

Lees - Twice dismissed by Jake Ball for six and then a duck is not a good omen. I really wonder why Yorkshire CCC persist with this consistent under-achiever.

Pujara - Run out for eighteen, having been dismissed in the first innings for two, scarcely represents the kind of return the county was hoping for from the Indian. 

Ballance - He's clearly out of favour with England now, so the county can look forward to big batting contributions from him all summer, as he achieved here.

Brook - Bowled for twenty-two and then 36 reveals a batting deficiency. However, he clearly has potential. Having potential is good. Realising it is so much better.

Leaning - Jack is another who is lucky to receive the benefit of the doubt again. His scores of twelve and 37 are just about a par score for Mr Leaning in recent times. 

Bresnan - Not for the first time his batting bailed out the top order, as he chipped in with 78 runs, and he also took three wickets costing 64 runs from 21 overs.

Hodd - Four catches and 65 runs was a decent return for someone who should get a lot of game time, while Jonny Bairstow is frequently away on England duty.

Brooks - His thirty-two overs yielded five valuable wickets, but he conceded 135 runs too. JB did weigh in with a valuable unbeaten thirty in the first innings.

Shaw - Josh only took the one wicket, and his sixteen overs cost 75 runs, with no maidens recorded. He's far too expensive and remains merely a squad player.

Coad - Ben was undoubtedly the match winner, helping himself to ten wickets. England will come a-calling in the near future, if he maintains his superb strike rate.