Gary Ballance sends Yorkshire to verge of win against Nottinghamshire

This third day, albeit one interrupted by morning rain, had the sense of revisiting recent glories for Yorkshire, who charged towards a first win of 2018 over newly promoted Nottinghamshire with eight evening wickets, having set them a highly unlikely target of 403.

When the White Rose won back-to-back Championship titles in 2014 and 2015, and even challenged Middlesex in 2016, they ground sides down with ruthless cricket – often a buzzphrase of their coach at the time, Jason Gillespie. Last year that approach was missing, particularly with the bat, as they narrowly escaped relegation.

Throughout the winter their current coach, Andrew Gale, and director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, have repeatedly spoken about the need for that to return. So they will have been thrilled to see it reap reward during this dominant day, highlighted by a measured 82 for the captain, Gary Ballance, and Tim Bresnan’s unbeaten 68. It was Brenan’s highest score since a brilliant 142 during the final game of 2016, the Championship title decider against Middlesex at Lord’s.

Yorkshire began the day on 189 for four in their second innings, leading by 257, with Ballance and Jack Leaning (37) completing a fifth-wicket partnership of 103 shortly after lunch. That stand was the glaring example of returning determination. During the second half of the afternoon, Bresnan shared a 10th-wicket stand of 77 with Ben Coad, who posted a career-best 33, to take the lead beyond reach. Bresnan even struck a pigeon at deep cover during his innings.

Yet Notts had their moments. Shortly after lunch, the in-form left-arm seamer Harry Gurney struck three times in 10 balls to reduce the score from 198 for four to 204 for seven, including Ballance playing on to middle stump.

Later Chris Read’s replacement behind the stumps, Tom Moores, took two outstanding one-handed catches leaping high to his right to help Luke Fletcher and Jake Ball remove the tail-enders Josh Shaw and Jack Brooks. All those days catching balls with the help of the back garden trampoline and his father have certainly come in useful.

Notts then started their chase on the front foot despite losing their captain, Steven Mullaney, lbw to Coad in the fourth over. Mullaney had hit three boundaries in the first over off Brooks before Jake Libby hit two off Coad in the second.

The scoring rate remained good but they lost a flurry of wickets before the close, Coad finishing the day with four. They slipped from 101 for three to 151 for seven inside nine overs, with the extra half-hour taken. They begin day four on 181 for eight.

Gregory does the damage in Somerset’s flying start

For the first time since 2012 Somerset have started their season with a Championship victory. It was achieved without a wicket being taken by a spinner, which has rarely been the case in recent times. Jack Leach, now of England, bowled 10 balls in the match. Somerset’s seamers, spearheaded by Lewis Gregory, did the damage as Worcestershire were bowled out for 195, 84 runs short of their target.

Gregory took vital wickets at the start of the innings. He sent two stumps flying out of the ground when dispatching Daryl Mitchell. He surprised Joe Clarke with an in-ducker, which followed several away-swingers, to gain a leg-before decision.

Clarke, highly rated and a regular Lion, has, like many young batsmen, struggled for runs after two matches this spring. Gregory also disposed of Tom Fell just before lunch. The pacemen accounted for 39 of the wickets to fall in the match; there was one controversial run-out.

The game began on an emerald green surface, which day by day faded. Most laudably the pitch retained its pace throughout so that the edges comfortably reached the slip cordon. On two occasions the ball arrived so quickly that Marcus Trescothick at second slip was unable to hold on to the type of catch he habitually gobbles up.

Gregory’s main ally was the veteran Tim Groenewald, who found the outside edge of at least three different bats – he was also the victim of two dropped catches since the keeper, Steve Davies was also fallible. Josh Davey, who does not excite the needle of the speed radar a great deal, picked up two wickets.

Meanwhile Craig Overton, the fastest and most celebrated of Somerset’s pacemen, had to wait the longest for his solitary victim, Josh Tongue. Pace, like spin, was not an essential asset on this surface to the frustration of those trying to improve the England team.

This was Worcestershire’s second defeat of the season, an outcome that was a travesty for their young all-rounder, Ed Barnard, who had a brilliant game. He took 11 for 89. In Worcestershire’s first innings he hit a half-century and was out selflessly heaving when batting with his No 11. In the second he top-scored with an unbeaten 45.

“Ed has slipped under the radar a bit,” said his captain, Joe Leach. “He is the real deal. He looked every inch a batter in this game along with his 11 wickets.”

The match ended with some controversy and confusion. The last man Steve Magoffin, struggling with a tight hamstring, was run out by a brilliant throw from the cover boundary by Matt Renshaw, Somerset’s replacement for Cameron Bancroft as an overseas player. But it became apparent after Magoffin had been given out that Renshaw’s foot had been beyond the boundary when he threw the ball.

Joe Leach dealt with this adroitly after a handy half-hour cooling-off period. “We were not overly happy. But that’s the game; we have to move on. Realistically it probably did not make a difference but there have been some improbable last-wicket partnerships.” He also acknowledged the impact of so many dropped catches when his side was in the field. James Hildreth, the outstanding English batsman on view, was dropped four times while scoring 159 runs in the match.

The confusion came from Somerset. It was announced at a members’ meeting on Thursday evening that Lewis Gregory had been the subject of a 28-day approach from another county – his contract is up at the end of the season. “That’s news to me,” Gregory said, adding he was “passionate about the club”. Jason Kerr, the new first-team coach, said: “I’d be tapping him up if I was with another county.” Bowling as he did in this game will surely assist him in any contract negotiations. Vic Marks