Nottinghamshire endured one of their toughest days of the Specsavers County Championship season as they found themselves well adrift of the reigning champions at Scarborough.
The visitors were quickly put on the back foot as Yorkshire bowled them out for only 94 during the morning session, with only Steven Mullaney and Brendan Taylor reaching double figures.
Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan each claimed three wickets as Notts lost eight wickets for 56 during a torrid morning session.
Yorkshire didn’t enforce the follow-on, despite having a lead of 188 on first innings. Batting again, they had reached 200 for four, a lead of 388, when bad light halted proceedings seven overs early. Gary Ballance was unbeaten on 75 for the White Rose county.
Wayne Noon, Nottinghamshire’s first team coach, summed up a very disappointing day. “We knew yesterday that we had let them off the hook but we didn’t realise then that we were going to be 90 all out, he said. “It wasn’t a 280 pitch and it definitely wasn’t a 94 all out pitch, so probably somewhere in the middle was a par score.
“It’s been a disappointing effort, second half with the ball and then with the bat. There may be a bit of weather around tomorrow but we then need a rearguard effort when we bat again because we have got to fight hard for those five draw points.”
The day had begun with Notts on 38 for two in their first innings, with Steven Mullaney being joined at the crease by Michael Lumb.
Tim Bresnan finished an incomplete over and shared the initial bowling duties with Sidebottom, who wreaked havoc from the Media Centre end.
In 12 deliveries the former Notts man claimed three wickets at a cost of five runs. Michael Lumb feathered through to wkicketkeeper Andrew Hodd for nought.
Steven Mullaney was given out lbw for 25 and Samit Patel edged to Bresnan at slip for four.
The situation could have been worse as Brendan Taylor then nicked the left-armer but on this occasion Bresnan put down the low offering. That would have been 59 for six but the next wicket wasn’t long in coming.
Just two more had been added when Chris Read mistimed a pull in Jack Brooks’ first over of the day. The ball appeared to stick in the wicket and the pull looped up gently to Alex Lees at cover.
Brett Hutton was seventh out, edging Brooks to Lyth at second slip. The catch was taken low down but after a brief chat the umpires confirmed that it had been taken cleanly.
Taylor lifted Patterson up and over the slip cordon for six but then had his off stump flattened by the same bowler.
Bresnan wound up the innings with the wickets of Luke Wood, caught behind, and Luke Fletcher, caught at slip by Jack Leaning.
Adam Lyth negotiated the one over possible before lunch, bowled by Mullaney. The openers gave little in the way of chances in adding 72 together but both then fell in quick succession.
Alex Lees was pinned lbw by Hutton for 30 and Lyth followed, giving Wood a return catch, after making 41.
Despite having removed two left-handers, Notts were then held at bay by two more. Jake Lehmann and Ballance put on 61 for the third wicket before Patel parted them.
Lehmann had made a fluent 35 and was rattling along in one-day mode when he hoisted the spinner to Wood at mid on.
Ballance had a ‘mini-life’ on 20, when Tom Moores almost pulled off a stunning aerial catch, from the bowling of Fletcher. The fielder leapt to his right at midwicket and got a finger-tip on the ball.
The England international made the most of his reprieve, reaching his 50 from 113 balls, with eight fours.
In fading light Patel grabbed a second wicket, as Jack Leaning charged him, only to be stumped by the Notts captain. Shortly afterwards, the umpires decided that the light had deteriorated too much to carry on.
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