Warwickshire leave their mark on champions

It would probably be unwise to read too much into a game where 117.2 overs were lost to bad weather and which finished with Tim Ambrose removing his wicketkeeping pads to bowl offspin.

Equally, it would probably be unwise to read too much into Warwickshire's position at the top of the Championship table after three draws from their first three games. These are early days in a weather-ravaged start to the season and some of their opponents have only played once.

But, bearing in mind the results of recent games between these two sides, Warwickshire will have taken heart from this performance against the champions. Indeed, as Ian Bell, put it, they have now "sent a message" to other teams in the division and underlined the thought that they "have the talent to beat any team".

Yorkshire have, in recent years, made a habit of thrashing Warwickshire. They had won the last three Championship encounters between the sides at Edgbaston - twice by an innings - and, since 2007, had beaten them seven times and lost just once in all first-class cricket.

So there probably is some relevance in Warwickshire having slightly the better of this draw. They posted a score in excess of 400 for the second game in succession - their lower middle-order thrashed 88 in 76 balls after lunch to ensure they claimed all five batting bonus points - and limited a Yorkshire attack shorn of Ryan Sidebottom to just two bowling points. Warwickshire will, quite rightly, have taken confidence from that.

Their strengths are obvious. In having a batsman as talented as Rikki Clarke, who here struck a selfless half-century having been dropped by Gary Ballance before he had scored, as low as No. 8 and a man at No. 10 (Jeetan Patel) who has scored two first-class centuries and averages 27.35 with the bat for them, they have a battling line-up that is harder to kill off than bindweed.

While they have several players on the fringes of England selection - notably Chris Woakes and Bell - or just below that quality, it seems they may be less compromised by call-ups than at any time for several years.

They have a few issues. They have, in Bell's estimation, dropped nine catches in three games and while their batting order looks long and strong, there have been moments when their bowlers have struggled for the consistency that might have capitalised on promising positions. Hampshire recovered from 87 for 7 in Southampton and Yorkshire recovered from 85 for 4 here. Their first-session bowling at Lord's was also modest.

Most of all, they are going to have to find ways to win games on what may well prove to be a series of good batting surfaces. This pitch, excellent for the time of year, was not far off Test quality and the early signs are that the ECB's tinkering of the playing regulations - not least those affecting the toss - have resulted in improved pitch standards. It is too early to be certain, but it could be that we see fewer wins this season and bowlers obliged to work even harder.

It would also be premature to suggest there is too much wrong with Yorkshire. They have the likes of Kane Williamson, Joe Root and David Willey (who will make his Yorkshire debut at Trent Bridge on Sunday) to come into their side and have shown, over the last two years, they have enviable depth in their production line.

But their top-order does look just a little fragile and their seam attack just a little plain. With Sidebottom - who Andrew Gale warned would probably miss the next two Championship matches after injuring his ankle - at an age where every season is a bonus and England calls likely to cut deep, it does appear that they face a tough fight to win a third successive Championship title. Steven Patterson's career-best with the bat may have saved them from a tricky situation here while Jonny Bairstow, who has papered over some cracks for a while, will not be available for much of this campaign.

On the final day of this match, after Warwickshire's declaration, Boyd Rankin made life uncomfortable for both Yorkshire openers in an erratic but sharp spell. Adam Lyth, discomforted by a good short ball, was dropped at short-leg before he had scored, while Alex Lees top-edged a pull to fine leg. Lyth was subsequently beaten by a quicker delivery from Patel. For the second time in the match, Ballance provided the resistance to ensure his side did not slip into trouble.

One man who impressed was Adil Rashid. Bowling legspin in these chilly conditions cannot be easy, but he troubled the batsmen throughout and generally maintained a decent amount of control. Bell felt he was out to an especially fine delivery and Gale termed his bowling "beautiful". Lyth also claimed two wickets with his part-time offspin: the slightly out-of-sorts Sam Hain coming down the wicket and playing for spin that wasn't there and Jonathan Trott, who looks in imperious form, edging a nicely bowled quicker one.

Gale provided few clues over who might miss out from his side with Root coming into the team on Sunday. One option being considered was for Gale to open in place of Lees, with another for Jack Leaning to miss out. It seems Gale will not drop himself this time, however.

"We know we can be better," Gale said. "I don't think we've hit our straps. The top five haven't dominated and had big partnerships. We know we haven't bowled in partnerships, either.

"We're not playing our best cricket. I don't know what you'd put that down to. There's been periods of play where we've been quite sloppy and gone around the park. The encouraging thing is that the lads recognise that. They want to work hard and put it right."

Again, it is hard to predict much from relatively scant evidence. It seemed as likely that Ambrose would win 'hairstyle of the year' as he would top the bowling averages and economy rates after three games. Cricket would not be nearly such a fine game if it was predictable.