Shahzad takes three before rain

Warwickshire 53 for 4 (Shahzad 3-19) v Yorkshire
Scorecard

It was a frustrating day for Yorkshire as the 123rd Scarborough Festival opened under gloomy grey skies. They made all the running in just under an hour and a half, which was all the play permitted by the weather. Good bowling in difficult conditions, especially by Ajmal Shahzad, removed the top four batsmen in the Warwickshire order, and the home team will at least face the second day with anticipation.

Rain in the early morning meant that the start of play was delayed by thirty minutes. It was a good toss for Yorkshire to win, as it enabled them to put Warwickshire in to bat in unsettled conditions. There was a gusty wind blowing, which may have accounted for Matthew Hoggard's first three deliveries being well off target. At the other end, Shahzad, given the rare privilege of bowling with the new ball, had no such problems with his first delivery. It rose just outside the line of the off stump and Ian Westwood, jabbing indecisively, edged a catch to second slip, with just a single on the board.

Shahzad struggled for consistency, though, and Ian Bell quickly put him in his place with a handsome off-drive and then a cut, both for four. After three overs he was removed temporarily from the attack. Ant Botha also hit Hoggard for two classy boundaries in an over, through midwicket and point respectively. When he faced Kruis, who had replaced Shahzad, though, one South African broke through the other's defences and hit his off stump, removing him for 13.

There was a four-minute break for rain after 47 minutes of play, and on the players' return Bell edged the first delivery, from Hoggard, straight into second slip's chest, but it fell to the ground as Joe Sayers failed to cling on. It could have been an expensive miss, but after he had scored 23, Bell fatally shouldered arms against a ball from Shahzad that came in and clipped his off stump.

Another wicket was to fall before lunch, as Jim Troughton, who scored a century the previous week against Durham, this time made only nine. Shahzad, working up a good pace and making the occasional ball fly, had him edging to third slip, where Jonny Bairstow took an excellent low catch. Warwickshire were in some disarray at 53 for 4 at lunch.

That was all the cricket that was possible for the day. Rain during lunch lasted on and off until the tea interval, when bad light took over and successfully saw that the players never took the field again - except, of course, for those who wished to risk their all too fragile 21st-century bodies by playing football in front of the pavilion. The weather forecast predicts better for tomorrow.