After the shock of James Taylor’s retirement, it was an impressive show of character fro Nottinghamshire to close out victory

George Dobell at Trent Bridge13-Apr-2016
ScorecardJake Ball completed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Spike Milligan used to tell a story about a time when he was suffering from a bout of depression. Lying in bed and crying uncontrollably, he was brought a glass of water by his young daughter. She knew it wouldn’t help, but she wanted to try and couldn’t think of anything else to offer.Perhaps this Nottinghamshire victory might be viewed in the same light. A club reeling from the news that James Taylor’s career is not only over, but that he must undergo heart surgery in the next couple of days knows that, in the grand scheme of things, the result of a game of cricket does not amount to much. But they wanted to do what they could for him and have nothing else to give besides good wishes and encouraging performances You can be quite sure this result raised a smile from Taylor.It was, in the end, a victory that owed much to the fortitude and character of a team struggling to come to terms with the sad news they had received. Facing a target of 169 on a pitch that remained encouraging for seamers, they slipped form 72 without loss to 100 for 5 before rallying.Jake Ball, a much improved seamer who will surely be pushing for England recognition in the coming months, completed the second five-wicket haul of his first-class career in the morning and hit the winning runs in the evening, while Greg Smith, a former team-mate of Taylor at Leicestershire as well as Nottinghamshire, registered his highest score for the club in first-class cricket.”As soon as we found out about James we said we’ve got to win him a trophy,” Ball said afterwards. “He’s an exceptional talent and it’s sad that it’s all been taken away from him.”He’s been a massive part of this club for a few years. What we can do is put wins on the board and trophies in the cabinet for him.”Ball must have thought his work was over when he helped polish off the Surrey innings in the morning session. While Sam Curran – surely a fine batsman in the making – contributed five sweetly-struck boundaries, he was trapped in front by one that nipped back and Arun Harinath’s admirable resistance was ended when he was lured into reaching for a drive and edged to the cordon. He had batted on every day of the match and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.The Nottinghamshire chase began smoothly. Mullaney, who looks in glorious form, and the more careful Smith reached 72 in 14 overs. But when Mullaney was trapped in front, the next four batsman added just eight between them.Tom Curran, finding life and movement from a good length, claimed three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run at one stage as Michael Lumb edged one angled across him, Brendan Taylor was taken on the glove by a brute of a ball and Riki Wessels edged one that bounced and left him. It was, by any standards, outstanding bowling.Smith, however, stood firm. So grim had his red-ball form been – this was his first score above 20 in 13 Championship innings and his first half-century in 24 first-class innings dating back to September 2014 – that one national newspaper left him out of their fantasy league options at the start of the season.But he has worked hard with Peter Moores – the consultant coach at Nottinghamshire – in recent months and demonstrated a sound defence and calm head in a crisis. It took a peach of a delivery, bouncing and nipping away from a good length, to find his edge.By then, Nottinghamshire were still 17 short and left with a tail that were blown away in the first innings. But Brett Hutton produced two sumptuous on drives and Ball kept his head to see their side over the line. Nottinghamshire took 24 points and Surrey just four.There was encouragement here for Surrey, though. They left themselves too much ground to make up after a poor start to the game with bat and ball but showed spirit and skill in clawing their way back into it.They also showed – if we did not know before – that they have at least two outstanding young cricketers in Ben Foakes and Tom Curran. To out-keep Chris Read, as Foakes did in this match, is a rare achievement, while Tom Curran produced a series of beautiful deliveries to precipitate a Nottinghamshire collapse.This was a mixed debut for Ravi Rampaul, though. After three years out of the first-class game, he was understandably rusty and looked as if he were carrying a few more pounds – or even stone – than can be ideal for a professional sportsman. Ravi Ample one wag called him; Ravi Rampall-you-can-eat another retorted.He retains enviable skills, though. While some of his wickets may have owed a little to fortune – Samit Patel, slashing without foot movement, edged a long-hop to slip and Read and Steven Mullaney may have felt the balls that trapped them leg before were passing down the leg side – he can move the ball both ways. The donation of 26 in no-balls though (Ravi no-ball was another nickname) was costly in such a tight game. He will, no doubt, improve for the experience.Surrey were also hampered by the decision not to bowl Sam Curran. They were, perhaps, keen not to over-burden a young man in such a tight situation, though he has given every indication to date of relishing the heat of the battle.”We made it very difficult for ourselves over the first four or five sessions of the game,” Gareth Batty admitted. “You can’t get that far behind against a very good team and Notts are a proven team. We gave ourselves too big a hill to climb but it was a pretty good effort to try and turn it around.”There is no lack of talent in his Surrey team. Their Championship season may well be defined by how quickly they can adapt to the greater discipline required in the top division. The pace at which they improved in this game may, despite the result, offer cause for optimism.

Newcastle United have not been short of memorable performances this Premier League season and Eddie Howe will surely be thrilled with the quick progression his team has made over the last 12 months.

The Magpies are currently third in the top-flight table with the chances of Champions League football next season becoming a real possibility should they keep up their phenomenal form after going unbeaten in their last five outings following the victory over Brenford this weekend.

It was by no means an easy battle won at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon and for the first 45 minutes it looked like Newcastle could be in trouble, as many players looked exhausted and their successful system looked to be disjointed – giving two penalties away before half-time.

However, the Newcastle boss displayed exactly why he has comfortably led his squad to bigger things this season, with his impeccable in-game management paying off massively in the second half.

Howe decided to take drastic action during the break, replacing Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy with Anthony Gordon and Callum Wilson, slightly tweaking the formation by moving Isak into a shadow striker role behind the England international, as the Swede has often displayed his ability to drop deeper.

To say it paid off is an understatement as it was a game-changing move that ultimately helped the Geordies become much more offensive and energetic, which led to a well-fought 2-1 victory.

Should Howe play Wilson and Isak together more often?

There is no doubt that Howe has a headache worth having when it comes to selecting his starting striker, as both Wilson and Isak have been massively influential in the position over the season so far.

The £46k-per-week goal machine has scored ten goals and delivered four assists in 27 appearances, with his form in front of goal earning him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year.

Wilson's £120k-per-week competitor for the striker role, Isak, was a monumental signing for the Magpies last summer, making the move to Tyneside for a club-record fee of £63m and has been a joy to watch ever since – scoring nine goals and registering one assist in 13 appearances.

The two goal-scorers boast different qualities, with Wilson an incredible finisher who thrives as a fox in the box, whilst Isak plays his best football when he is given the freedom to drop deeper and drifts into wider positions to receive the ball from midfield, often utilising his impeccable dribbling skills to trouble his opponents in the final third.

The St James' Park faithful welcomed the partnership when Howe made the change yesterday, with The Chronicle's Ciaran Kelly heaping praise on the pair for the build-up to Isak's winning goal:

"Callum Wilson lays it off on the edge of the area and Alexander Isak arrows it into the top corner first time. Unreal. They can play together, all right."

With that being said, Howe could have the perfect attacking formula for the rest of the season to unlock Champions League football for the North East club, as it is clear that Isak and Wilson can not only deliver apart but shine together too.

All ten matches of the West Indies tri-series, featuring Australia and South Africa, will be played under lights

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2016

All ten matches of the tri-series in the Caribbean, featuring Australia, South Africa and West Indies, will be played under lights. It is the first time every match of a series in the Caribbean has been accorded day-night status.The series, due to begin on June 3, features nine group games – three each at Guyana National Stadium, Warner Park in St. Kitts and Kensington Oval in Barbados. Kensington Oval will also host the final on June 26. Each match will begin at 1 pm local time (1700 GMT).Roland Holder, WICB’s cricket operations manager, said the board wanted to cater to the fans better. “We looked at ways to enhance the appeal and the spectator experience and it is accepted that fans like the day/night matches. I’m sure we will have a win-win situation for players and fans and everyone will enjoy the afternoon start and the finish under lights.”

Chelsea return to Premier League action this evening following the recent international break as Aston Villa travel to Stamford Bridge.

Graham Potter has undergone a mini resurgence at the club in recent weeks, winning three out of four matches during March, including an impressive 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16, and he will be hoping the confidence carries into tonight’s match.

Several players have upped their game recently, with Kai Havertz and Joao Felix getting in among the goals against Everton in their last match before the break and this will give Potter a major boost heading into the final few weeks of the campaign.

The 47-year-old could well make some changes, especially with a league clash against Liverpool taking place just 72 hours after the Villa game and this could present an opportunity to a few players who have a point to prove, with Conor Gallagher itching for another chance.

Will Conor Gallagher start for Chelsea vs Aston Villa?

The 23-year-old has played 24 times in the top flight this term, although he has started just ten matches and will be hoping Potter unleashes him from the first whistle tonight.

Gallagher enjoyed an extremely productive spell at Crystal Palace last season, firmly establishing himself as someone who could have a bright future. He registered 11 goal contributions – eight goals and three assists – made 1.1 key passes and created five big chances, certainly showcasing his attacking attributes.

Returning to Chelsea was inevitable, yet he maybe hasn’t hit the heights he expected of himself following his successful loan spell, despite averaging a solid 6.8/10 Sofascore rating.

Against Leicester City recently, Gallagher had one of his finest performances of the season so far, and he only played the second half. His Sofascore rating of 8/10 was the best out of any player on the pitch, and he managed 41 touches, made one key pass, and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, giving Potter something different going forward.

The £50k-per-week gem was previously praised by journalist and analytics expert Patrick Rowe, who stated that his best traits were his “relentless work rate” and “threat in the final third” and there is no doubt he can terrorise Villa’s defence.

Unai Emery’s men have conceded 39 goals this term and if Gallagher starts and performs like how he did against Leicester a few weeks ago, then the Englishman will give the Stamford Bridge outfit a massive boost and another three points will take them closer to the European spots.

Worcestershire have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the build-up to their County Championship fixture against Kent earlier this month, which was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a waterlogged outfield.The match, which had been due to take place at New Road between April 10 and 13, was called off by the umpires, Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth, after four consecutive blank days, following heavy rain on the eve of the contest that left the outfield like a “jelly-blancmange”, according to Tim Packwood, the head groundsman.The situation drew an angry response from Kent’s captain, Sam Northeast. “We turned up on the first day and knew pretty much straight away there would be no play over the four days,” he said. “It is unacceptable. This is not bad luck. I’d like to think there could have been something done.”We have had days of sun but not played any cricket. It’s not fair on the fans that travelled, sorted out hotels or taken time off work.”However, following an investigation by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC), the chairman Gerard Elias QC exonerated Worcestershire but invited the ECB to consider any actions or safeguards that might prevent a similar occurrence in the future.In particular, Elias found “no evidence that the pitch itself was unfit, or that Worcestershire CCC had, by the action or wilful inaction of its groundstaff, done anything which materially adversely impacted upon the possibility of play.”Despite recognising the “significant financial loss and inconvenience, as well as disappointment, experienced by both counties and their supporters”, Elias was satisfied that reasonable decisions and actions had been taken by the club in the period leading up to the match.Worcestershire’s players, he noted, had been able to practice on both the square and the outfit on the eve of the match and therefore could have reasonably believed that the ground would be fit for play the following day.Worcestershire have been plagued by floods and waterlogged conditions at New Road in recent years. In 2007, another Championship meeting with Kent was washed out without a ball being bowled, after which the club was unable to play at the venue for the final three months of the season.

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott will be available for the Reds' crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, according to reliable journalist David Lynch.

How has Elliott done this season?

The Reds had another forgettable game in midweek away to Chelsea in a "tame" goalless stalemate. It meant more points were dropped in the battle for a top-four finish, while Newcastle United and Manchester United's wins on Wednesday night further hampered their chances.

Someone who played no part against the Blues was Elliott, who missed his first game of the season after making 41 appearances in 2022/23 to date.

The youngster was hailed as "exceptional" earlier in the season and has clearly been a favourite of Jurgen Klopp's given his increased playing time this term.

And in an update on his situation, there is positive news for the Merseysiders ahead of their weekend meeting with the Gunners.

Is Elliott fit for the Arsenal clash?

Taking to Twitter, Football Insider reporter David Lynch confirmed that Elliott was simply rested against Chelsea and will be in contention to start at home to Premier League leaders Arsenal this weekend:

"Harvey Elliott expected to return to the Liverpool squad for Sunday's meeting with Arsenal. No injury concern behind his omission against Chelsea – more a recognition of a remarkable 41-game workload so far this season."

This is an undoubted boost for Liverpool, with Elliott someone who hasn't necessarily been perfect this season, but has contributed more than many struggling midfielders, registering two league assists – which is as many as Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner combined. At 19, he is already playing with a maturity beyond his years, scoring twice in the Champions League and also averaging one tackle per game in Europe's premier club competition.The Englishman deserves to come back into the side against Arsenal, with his guile capable of opening up the visitors' defence, as highlighted by 11 assists on loan at Blackburn Rovers back in 2020/21. He also boasts seven goal contributions this term, having had three in his senior Liverpool career at the start of this campaign.If Thiago is fit, it could make the most sense to start the Spaniard and Elliott in the No 8 roles, with either Fabinho or Henderson anchoring the midfield. The latter pair have been panned for their poor seasons, and if their lacklustre displays continue, starting both together could be a huge issue against a Gunners side brimming with confidence as they continue their title tilt.

There is also an argument to say that Elliott's lack of physicality and 5-foot-7 frame could be an issue on the day up against Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, who both top six feet. However, as mentioned, we think Elliott merits a starting berth more than others, especially after getting a rest in midweek.

Despite Todd Boehly’s priorities lying in securing a new permanent Chelsea manager, there is still plenty of talk surrounding potential summer signings.

Indeed, according to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Chelsea have reportedly met with Barcelona youngster Gavi and his representatives in order to secure the signature of the player during the summer.

The 18-year-old only signed his first professional contract with the La Liga side which will keep him there until 2026, however, due to their ongoing financial problems, they have been forced to remove him from their registration of first-team players and this means the £160m-rated talent could remarkably become a free transfer this summer.

This is music to Boehly’s ears, with arguably one of the finest teenage stars in world football able to move without the need for a transfer fee and the American is aiming to make the midfielder one of the highest earners in the Premier League.

With Gavi being admired, it could well spell the end of Mason Mount’s time at the club. Liverpool have shown a keen interest as of late, and it could be time to cash in once the season is finished.

Could Chelsea sign Gavi this summer?

Chelsea certainly have the financial clout to lure Gavi to England there is no doubt about it, however, due to financial fair play regulations, there will surely have to be some major outgoings in order to balance the books with the Blues potentially set to ditch Mount.

The Englishman has featured 24 times in the league this term and with an average Sofascore rating of 7/10, he ranks as the ninth-best player in the squad according to overall rating.

It’s been a solid if unspectacular campaign for Mount, registering just five goal contributions and creating only three big chances. Therefore, it might be time to bring in someone who not only could improve the team but will also become a mainstay for the next few years.

Gavi was lauded by journalist Miguel Delaney as being “sensational” while Josh Bunting claimed the youngster is “excellent to watch” and there is no doubt that his feats over the previous 18 months have caught the eye of a lot of clubs.

He became the youngest-ever scorer for Spain in the World Cup when he netted against Costa Rica in the group stage victory and his statistics over the previous 12 months suggest he is one of the finest players on the continent.

Indeed, the 18-year-old ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues when it comes to pass completion rate, interceptions, blocks, aerials won and touches in the attacking penalty area, suggesting his all-round ability would be crucial for Chelsea.

That final fact marks him out as someone who could well flourish in Mount's more advanced position. While not a natural goalscorer like the England star, the Barca youngster has proven his creative talents already by producing 12 assists at club level to date.

The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the club in their approach for the Spaniard and he could well be donning the blue of Chelsea come 2023/24.

For Jonny Bairstow, even on the grandest days the debate about whether England should utilise him as a wicketkeeper or specialist batsmen seems destined to ring loudly

The Report by David Hopps10-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKaushal Silva continued to enjoy batting at Lord’s•Getty Images

The highest Test score ever lodged by an England wicketkeeper in a home Test followed by a perplexing dropped catch. For Jonny Bairstow, even on the most exultant of days the debate about whether England should utilise him as a wicketkeeper or specialist batsmen is destined to ring loudly.Bairstow was left unbeaten on 167 as England were dismissed for 416, 45 minutes into the afternoon session on the second day at Lord’s, but Sri Lanka ended the day strongly by reaching 162 for 1 with Kaushal Silva becoming just the second player to score half-centuries in his first three Test innings at Lord’s.Spritely of mind and stroke, Silva delighted in every opportunity to dart his runs between cover and third man. All three England pace bowlers – James Anderson twice at Headingley, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn at Chester-le-Street – had shared in four successive catches from Silva for Bairstow in this series, but on a surface with few devils his outside edge this time looked less compromised. He played with positive intent from the outset to spearhead Sri Lanka’s most productive batting display since they arrived on these shores.Bairstow’s innings was the highest by an England wicketkeeper on home shores and only six runs short of Alec Stewart’s all-time record. His authority as a batsman is growing apace. With three Test hundreds in eight knocks, it was a time for celebration. Here, said some, was England’s Adam Gilchrist.Then came the wobble. Whether it was the Lord’s wobble – the ground is notorious for the ball swinging late after passing the batsman – or the Bairstow wobble – equally notorious – will be debated long into the night. Bairstow did have to contend with some late dip after the ball shaved Dimuth Karunaratne’s edge, but he missed the ball by a considerable distance as it hit him on the thigh.Chris Woakes, an undemonstrative sort, cast his hands apart in disbelief as he was denied a wicket with his first ball; Bairstow widened his eyes as if the ball had turned into a Christmas pudding upon its final approach. Karunaratne was reprieved and Sri Lanka, scooting ahead on another placid Lord’s Test pitch, closed with deserved satisfaction. After two heavy defeats in the frozen north they have thawed out impressively. Sri Lanka love Lord’s.Bairstow is not the first wicketkeeper to be embarrassed by Lord’s capricious ways. Mention of Stewart invites discussion of another England player whose career constantly shifted between a role as batsman or batsman-keeper. Bairstow openly resents the debate surrounding his role far more than Stewart ever did – Stewart preferred a straight-backed Do My Best For England barked response, but it will be discussed all the same.Long before the close of the second day, he looked exhausted. His body ached after 408 minutes at the crease, a bruised finger was on his mind no matter how much he tried to block it out and, considering that his valiant efforts had provided a get-out clause for poor England batting, some of the throws he received from England teammates were lazy enough to have deserved a bawl-out. He was a man in need of an early night.Karanaratne, 28 when he was reprieved, is not the type to punish such an error: his Test career is awash with 20s and 30s. Spared an lbw verdict three runs later when England unsuccessfully reviewed Woakes’ inducker he then became becalmed, as if aware of his reputation, then suddenly spurted like a tap with a faulty washer with three successive boundaries off James Anderson.”Keep going,” tweeted Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, Sanath Jayasuriya, as both batsmen reached half-centuries in the same over, Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand raised for two-and-a-half years Instead, Karunaratne nudged Steven Finn off his hip to Bairstow. Tweets are yet to be read between balls by batsmen at the crease, although one suspects it is only a matter of time.Silva did graze contentedly to the end against an England attack where only Woakes, the fastest England bowler in terms of a single ball and average, possessed much exuberance.Tranquillity washed over the day from the outset. Matt Prior, after ringing the bell at start of play, was invited on to the England balcony to catch up with old mates and down below Bairstow and Woakes made serene progress to their highest Test scores against a Sri Lanka attack that was as unthreatening as England’s was to prove later.England’s slightly dicey overnight position of 279 for 6 was suitably refined to 384 for 7 by the time the clock reached 1pm. Woakes was the only wicket to fall before lunch, frustrated by Herath’s over-the-wicket approach into the footholes outside his leg stump and advancing to chip a return catch. But he did have his first Test half-century, 66 from 142 balls, an innings characterised by genial off-side drives.England have got 400 in the first innings in a home Test and lost before, but not since 1998 when Muttiah Muralitharan was rampant at The Oval and his 16 wickets in the match enabled Sri Lanka to pull off an unlikely heist. A dominant Sri Lankan Saturday, with few wickets lost, would cause a quiver or two.But these days Sri Lanka have no Murali and, indeed, one wonders how long they will have the benefit of the excellent Herath. He is 38 now, and remains a master of little subtleties, drawing one or two nods of appreciation from Bairstow as he coaxed him into minor errors of judgment.Serenity is hardly Bairstow’s calling card. Watch him bat at his most combative and one imagines he could fight his own shadow. But with a century gathered in 11 balls before stumps on the first day, his appetite to take advantage of placid batting conditions was evident from the outset and the moments of fortune that had helped him through the opening day were absent.Woakes shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 144 in 40 overs as Sri Lanka’s seamers made no impression. He is very much the anti-Stokes, as peaceful as Stokes is belligerent; as unobtrusive as Stokes is the centre of attention. If he saw a locker door upon dismissal, he would check it was safely closed not punch it in anger. In such, he does not fit modern fashions, but his first fifty – at the 11th attempt – will have won him respect, if not celebrity status.England’s innings subsided quickly after lunch with the last three wickets falling in the space of six overs. Stuart Broad made a typically insecure appearance before slashing Suranga Lakmal to gully, Finn – after surviving an lbw decision for Herath on review – top-edged the same bowler to deep backward square and Anderson was caught at the wicket, defending a short ball from Shaminda Eranga.

In another clinical display, Delhi Daredevils’ bowlers restricted table-toppers Gujarat Lions to 149, setting up a convincing eight-wicket win in Rajkot’s last game of the season

The Report by Nikhil Kalro03-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRishabh Pant blitzed his first limited-overs half-century to help Delhi Daredevils to a big win•BCCIIn another clinical display, Delhi Daredevils’ bowlers restricted table-toppers Gujarat Lions to 149, setting up a convincing eight-wicket win in Rajkot’s last game of the season. In the chase, Rishabh Pant and Quinton de Kock blazed a 115-run partnership off 81 balls – the side’s joint-fourth highest opening stand – to help Daredevils breeze to the second spot on the points table. Despite successive losses, Lions retained their place at the top. It was the 24th win by a chasing side in 31 games this season.After opting to bowl, Daredevils’ bowlers set up an advantage in the first four overs. It looked like Shahbaz Nadeem had trapped Brendon McCullum in front in the first over, but umpire Chris Gaffaney indicated that the batsman had got an inside edge. After facing three of the first 16 balls, McCullum charged at a Zaheer Khan slower ball. Like most of Zaheer’s offcutters this season, it beat McCullum’s wild swing and clipped the off stump.Two balls later, Dwayne Smith chipped a long-hop from Nadeem to long-on. In the same over, Aaron Finch, who replaced an injured Dwayne Bravo, got a leading edge off his attempted sweep to short fine leg. Lions’ three overseas batsmen were dismissed and already the middle order was limited to playing for singles and twos into Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium’s large pockets. The score at the end of six overs read 35 for 3, Lions’ lowest Powerplay returns of the season.Apart from a well-timed uppercut for six, Suresh Raina struggled to find his timing. Dinesh Karthik, though, accrued his runs through well-placed sweeps and flicks in the vast outfield. Just when it looked like Lions had consolidated after the early jolt, Raina was stumped after misjudging a googly from Amit Mishra.Thereafter, Ravindra Jadeja and Karthik resorted to the same as the previous few overs. The pair, however, set up a solid platform for the end overs. Lions found at least one boundary in every over after the 13th, except the penultimate one.The last five overs yielded 50 with hard-run twos contributing to the Lions score. Yet, the extent of the damage in the first four overs was so severe that Lions could only muster a sub-par 149.De Kock and Pant, promoted to the opening slot, effectively finished the game by plundering nine boundaries in a 61-run Powerplay. Pant was particularly dominant with scythed cuts off the seamers’ wide offerings. When the ball was straight, Pant used his strong bottom hand to whip fours through the arc at midwicket.After matching Pant in the Powerplay, de Kock laid anchor and milked the bowling for singles. Pant, though, did not slow down. He used his feet to smear and swipe towards the long-on region as he struck his first limited-overs fifty, off 25 balls.Both Pant and de Kock were dismissed after across-the-line heaves, but Sanju Samson and JP Duminy, who returned after regaining fitness, took Daredevils home with 16 balls remaining.

ScorecardAdil Rashid fought back after a disastrous start for Yorkshire•Getty Images

Emboldened a trifle by their side’s position at the top of the Division One table, Lancashire’s travelling supporters had reasons for disquieting optimism as they made their way across the Pennines for the 256th Roses match. “Oh are we bound for glory, borne on a little fortune’s wave?” they might have trilled with the peerless Nancy Kerr, before adding that note of protective pessimism: “Or are we bound for some dark town and some grave northern story?”For well over an hour on the first day of this game it seemed that those loyalists from the Rossendale valley were destined for glory without trammel. Fine new-ball bowling by Kyle Jarvis and sharp slip catching by Karl Brown and Tom Smith had left Yorkshire miserably placed on 29 for 4 in the 14th over and the very limited recovery achieved by Andrew Gale and Adil Rashid was snuffed out half an hour before lunch when a shuffling Gale was lbw to a full length ball from Neil Wagner.This, though, is Yorkshire and they are not champions for nowt. And Headingley is, in the proudest possible way, a ground where they do not like you to forget it, particularly during a Roses match. More significantly, of course, Gale’s team is one which managed to win the 2015 Division One title by 68 points without ever batting at their best. Instead, they perforce relied on a series of spectacular recoveries, and the fact that many of them involved Jonny Bairstow has not blunted Yorkshire’s capacity to fight back. Bairstow may be with England but Yorkshire’s resilience burns wonderfully brightly without him.So it was barely a surprise that Rashid and Tim Bresnan took their side’s total from 74 to 210 before the sixth wicket fell when Rashid drove Simon Kerrigan to Luke Procter at short cover and trooped off 12 short of what would have been his third century against Lancashire. What was even more encouraging was that Rashid and Bresnan’s bristling partnership was followed in the last hour of the day by a fine stand of 75 for the ninth wicket between Steve Patterson, who is 41 not out, and Andrew Hodd, who received his Yorkshire cap early in the day and fell in its last over, when he turned Wagner to Liam Livingstone at backward short leg and departed for 40.Despite that late reverse, the Headingley spectators could return to their homes in Pudsey and Bingley, in Morley and Cleckheaton, knowing that they had seen their team finish the day on even terms. That was a distant summit late in the morning session.Yet this was a splendid day on which Lancashire supporters could also be proud, particularly, perhaps, of Jarvis who finished the day with figures of 4 for 74 and is now the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 28 scalps. Following Tom Bailey’s dismissal of Adam Lyth with the fourth ball of the match, Jarvis took three for 24 in a nine-over spell and there was really not very much either Gary Ballance or Jack Leaning could do about the balls which defeated their defensive shots and took the outside edge. Like Ballance, Alex Lees made nought and he may look back on his loose shot outside the off stump with rather less phlegm.The afternoon session was the property of Rashid and Bresnan, who added 107 in 34 overs during which they drew the sting of Lancashire’s attack, a particularly fine achievement on a pitch offering uneven bounce. Wagner tried to compensate for his lack of impact with an overuse of the bouncer and he looks so much less formidable a customer when his bumpers become outlets for frustration rather than targeted weapons. The Yorkshire crowd enjoyed it all hugely, of course, and offered frank assessments, not all of them complimentary, of the South African’s capabilities.Rashid, compact and skilful, drove and cut effectively; Bresnan launched his bat like a mighty scramasax at anything overpitched. Yorkshire fought their way out of trouble and the conversations among spectators reflected contentment. “Do we still spell it Maurice Leyland even though it’s Morris on his birth certificate?” asked someone. This is a county where they are putting up blue plaques to commemorate the birthplaces of their great cricketers. They will remember Rashid and Bresnan’s stand, too, especially, maybe, because it provoked such impotent wrath in Wagner. Every religion, especially a secular one, perhaps, needs its little devils.Lancashire fought back though, and Wagner will not be too unhappy with his final figures of 3 for 70. He dismissed Bresnan for 69 when another mighty drive could only inside-edge a catch behind and he then got rid of Hodd and celebrated joyously in the evening sunshine. One imagines he has enjoyed his first taste of a Roses match. As for Lancashire’s skipper, Steven Croft, he will be tired but not too despondent when he reviews the day. Pressed into service as a wicketkeeper after Alex Davies was ruled out with a knee injury, Croft pouched the catches which removed both Lyth and Bresnan and kept his men at their work. This game is beautifully poised. One wonders which side is bound for glory.