Patterson responds for Yorkshire

Yorkshire's quest for one of the victories which would be likely to secure promotion to Division One of the County Championship was looking a lot healthier at the end of the first day at Headingley than it was half way through it. After Glamorgan's openers put on 124 Yorkshire worked their way doggedly through the remainder of their side and dismissed them for the addition of only 148 more runs. Adam Lyth and Joe Root then saw out six uneventful overs while chipping 20 runs out of the visitors' lead.

With the September early start, and a green tinged pitch, Andrew Gale, upon winning the toss, chose to field. At lunch time, with bottom side Glamorgan 103 without loss, he must have been wondering whether that had been a wise choice, and the plethora of desperate and unsuccessful lbw appeals in the 40 minutes before and after the interval spoke loudly of Yorkshire's frustration. However, by the close of play and as a result of a dogged display in the field, they had worked their way into a position from which to build confidently tomorrow.

Ryan Sidebottom came into the Yorkshire side at the expense of Adil Rashid, but neither he nor Steven Patterson threatened significantly during their opening spells. Indeed by midday Gale had turned to off spinner Azeem Rafiq, with no immediate success.

The Glamorgan trail was blazed by Will Bragg, who played beautifully on both sides of the wicket. His partner Nick James was content to prop up his end, and by lunch time, benefitting from one of three missed chances close to the wicket in Glamorgan's innings, had scored 32 to Bragg's 69.

20 minutes after lunch Yorkshire finally broke through, James edging Sidebottom to give Andy Hodd the first of four straightforward catches in the innings. Bragg moved on to 92, his best first class score of the season, before edging Steven Patterson behind. What followed was a collapse that put into perspective the excellence of the opening partnership.

Young David Lloyd, making his first class debut, fell to the same Patterson and Hodd combination without scoring. Australian Stewart Walters made 42, but only after being dropped in successive overs by Gary Ballance and Andy Hodd. Adam Lyth soon sent him on his way, though, taking a very sharp chance one handed at slip off Azeem Rafiq.

After that three wickets fell in the space of 20 balls. Anthony McGrath chipped in with two of them, Joe Allenby falling to another outstanding Lyth catch after the ball deflected off the wicketkeeper's gloves. Allenby had looked dangerous, whacking his fourth ball from Rafiq straight for six, and then cover driving the same bowler for four, but he was one of several who made a start but was unable to capitalise on it. Graham Wagg was one of three Glamorgan players to fall without scoring, and although skipper Mark Wallace made his way to 29, he was caught brilliantly at forward short-leg by Phil Jaques off Rafiq. While the last two wickets added 36 runs the total of 272 was still some way below par.