Yorkshire in double triumph

Yorkshire defeated both Worcestershire and the weather to notch up their third win from four opening county championship matches and sit unbeaten atop the Division One table.

The remarkable turnaround from relegation candidates to champion contenders has happened so quickly fans have been left dizzy. The crushing victory by an innings and 260 runs over Worcestershire was completed despite the match being curtailed by rain.

Yorkshire lost only seven wickets in the match and batted supremely to rack up 521 runs thanks to centuries from Jacques Rudolph and the "Headingly Limpet" Joe Sayers. The 23-year-old left hander batted for 459 minutes for his 123. This comes on the back of his two unbeaten knocks in the last match against Durham where he was on the field for the duration of all four innings.

But to wrap up victory against bottom of the table Worcestershire before the rain stepped in Yorkshire were going to have to take 20 wickets quickly. And that they did, despite having to face former Yorkshire overseas player Phil Jaques, England nearly-man Vikram Solanki and the evergreen Graeme Hick.

Matthew Hoggard played his way into form ahead of the impending Test series with five top order wickets in the first innings. After the Black Pears could only muster 129 they followed on. In their second attempt they escaped the clutches of Hoggard but in their determination to flee their shaggy-haired first innings destroyer they ran headlong into a wicket hungry Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid. The ensuing carnage left the batting card in tatters and the two young English bowlers with four wickets each. The victory was capped off with some fine fielding and close catching.

Yorkshire once again had to replace wicket-keeper batsman Gerard Brophy after he suffered a hand injury. He was replaced by mask-wearing Simon Guy. The gloveman donned a clear plastic visor to protect his face, and despite looking like Hannibal Lector it didn't seem to hamper his keeping. Guy said he was using the mask to protect his livelihood as he couldn't afford another injury. Whether it catches on time will tell.

Yorkshire will be buoyed by yet another 'easy' win but here the real test starts. England now pluck Hoggard from their midst and without him to lead the attack Yorkshire will be relying on three aged pros, one of which is currently injured. As scheduling would have it Yorkshire now have a break from LV County Championship matches with a University game. This may give their Kolpak paceman Deon Kruis enough time to recover from his hamstring strain. But should he, The Dazzler or 'The Dizzler', as Jason Gillespie is now known, break down the young pool of talent waiting in the wings is raw, erratic and toothless compared to the classy Hoggard.

No doubt that bridge will be crossed in due course. For now followers of the White Rose can sit back and enjoy a 12 point buffer between themselves and the chasing pack. It may not last for long.