County Championship round-up: Bairstow's struggles go on after England rejection

Jonny Bairstow still cannot find the restorative runs for Yorkshire that would soothe being dropped from England's Test side. After scoring 25 in total in five Twenty20 knocks and then copping a first-ball dismissal in his only first-class innings since the final Test against West Indies, Bairstow at least made a start against Derbyshire in the top-of-the-table Division Two clash at Chesterfield, but was out for 27 when he dragged a ball from Tony Palladino on to his stumps.

His dismissal did not hugely inconvenience Yorkshire, at least not at first. Having chosen to bat first they advanced to 175 for three, with acting captain Phil Jaques – Andrew Gale is still out with a hip injury –sharing a partnership with Gary Ballance worth 81 at that moment.

But when Ballance was caught behind off Mark Turner it sparked a catastrophic collapse in which the last seven Yorkshire wickets fell for 44 runs, the first five of those for 10 runs in seven overs, with Jaques going for 61. Only a flurry of runs from Steve Harmison, who hit a six and three fours, scraped a batting point.

But Harmison, on loan from Durham, then devalued his contribution with the bat by conceding 27 in his first three overs with the ball.

Rain limited play in the First Division matches, but largely avoided Manchester, where the Lancashire all-rounder Steven Croft – included in England's provisional squad for the World Twenty20 – took three wickets bowling off-spin as well as two catches and executing a run-out.

Worcestershire were 94 for six at one stage, left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan showing his recovery powers with three wickets after being taken apart by Kevin Pietersen at Guildford last week. But then a stand of 127 between Matt Pardoe (55) and Ben Scott put Worcestershire back on track after deciding to bat first. Scott went on to complete a century off 163 balls with 11 fours.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: Look To The Lady In The Prince Of Wales

The Prince of Wales Stakes today is regarded by many as the No1 race of the Royal Ascot meeting and ...

by Gareth Purnell

iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes

Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...

by Gareth Purnell

Newcastle don’t need a football director – they need a new medical team after finishing bottom of the injury league

Newcastle United have shocked their fans by appointing Joe Kinnear as director of football but new f...

by Alex Miller

       
 
Career Services

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends