Hales shows maturity to keep Notts in the chase

Nottinghamshire 261 and 151 for 5 lead Yorkshire 290 (Lees 92, Plunkett 51, Ball 4-57) by 122 runs
Scorecard

This was the day the match promised when it appeared in the schedule. A high-class, uncompromising battle between two good quality sides. As a learning ground for Test cricket is was very good; as entertainment in its own right it was excellent.

By the end of it, Yorkshire had earned themselves - oh, how they earned it - a decent chance of forcing a win on the fourth day. Courtesy of their strong lower-order and an admirably relentless performance from their four seamers, they gradually dismantled Nottinghamshire's strong top-order through persistence and sustained skill. By the time their fifth-wicket fell, the lead was only 69.

But Nottinghamshire are not out of it. Through an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 53 between Chris Read and Samit Patel, they had stretched that lead to 122 by stumps. Their seam bowling, in this match at least, has been every bit the equal of Yorkshire's and, on a pitch showing signs of uneven bounce, a fourth-innings target of even 160 might prove plenty. It has become, in short, a beautifully poised game of high-class cricket.

From the perspective of England selection, it was also helpful. Forget what the scorecard says: Alex Hales provided a good demonstration of the skills required by a Test opener in this innings and may have taken a stride towards ensuring his retention in the Test squad.

It was, in some ways, a most unlike Hales innings. It took him 52 balls to reach double-figures - the same number of deliveries it had taken Liam Plunkett to thrash a half-century earlier in the game - and, instead of languid drives, it was characterised by solid defence and judicious leaves. It was, ironically, the style of innings that Nick Compton tends to play.

But it was precisely what his team required and entirely appropriate to the conditions and the quality of bowling. While in South Africa he showed a tendency to push at the ball outside off stump and a lack of patience at times, here he looked as if he had the temperament and technique to cope with the opening role. There were still some elegant strokes - an on drive that took him to eight from 36 balls was the highlight - and he was close to blameless for his dismissal, bowled by one that kept horribly low. He looked as if he had matured into a Test batsman.

It was, at the time, easily the most productive contribution of the Notts second innings. While Steven Mullaney was punished for playing across a trademark inswinger from David Willey - his maiden Championship wicket for Yorkshire - Greg Smith's fairly reasonable leave was beaten by one that nipped back sharply off the pitch from the immaculate Steve Patterson. Yes, that's a defence of a leave that resulted in a batsman being clean bowled. Michael Lumb edged a good one pushed across him before Riki Wessels was bowled through a gate so wide you could place stone lions either side of it and park your car in the middle.

Patterson and Jack Brooks were infinitely more impressive than in the first innings. Both gained substantial lateral movement and both maintained such control than in their 30 overs combined, they conceded only six boundaries and a total of 51 runs.

Had it not been for Patel's intervention, Yorkshire might have wrapped up the Notts innings already. But he counterattacked with calculated aggression - Willey was punished for dropping short with three boundaries in an over, before Adil Rashid was hit over the top and out of the attack - in making a 66-ball half-century. He had to withstand a brief but impressive spell of short balls from Plunkett - never Patel's forte - but the kick of satisfaction he gave at the close of play spoke volumes for the satisfaction he took from this innings.

He had already taken a key wicket earlier in the day. His first delivery - a filthy, waist-high full toss - saw Rashid thrash the ball to the fielder on the mid-wicket fence and end a potentially vital partnership.

By then, Alex Lees had already gone - adding only one to his overnight score before edging a fine delivery from the much-improved Harry Gurney - before Andrew Gale was drawn into an edge off the impressive Jake Ball.

Ball was awarded his county cap during the day and has, in front of the selector James Whitaker and the TV cameras, produced a performance that may well win him inclusion in the England squad for the first Test. Perhaps, on typical Test wickets, his pace may appear a little modest but he has the height, the skill and the persistence to trouble batsmen on any surface. He is certainly a man with whom the England selectors can do business.

Plunkett's days in the Test squad may be gone. The view seems to be that, despite his pace and heart, he does not do quite enough with the ball to unlock Test line-ups. He still looks a tremendous cricketer, though, and here thrashed an important half-century that included 16 runs off one Stuart Broad over. The highlight was probably a six lofted over mid-on, but a clip off the legs for four was almost as pleasing. Later his control and pace with the ball provided the support the other seamers required.

His wholehearted contribution was typical of a day in which two fine sides battled without let up and on which fortunes ebbed and flowed intriguingly. It was domestic cricket at close to its finest. An enticing final day looms.