County Championship: Warwickshire on top against Yorkshire

Warwickshire totally dominated the second day at Edgbaston to take control against Yorkshire in a gripping County Championship tussle.

Having had much the better of day one, Yorkshire resumed on the second morning on 110-4 but were 152 all out after the dismissal of Harry Brook (40) triggered the loss of six wickets for 15 runs in 15 overs.

Their chief tormentors were former White Rose players Olly Hannon-Dalby (4-38) and Jordan Thompson (3-14).

Trailing by just five when a much bigger deficit had seemed likely, Warwickshire then advanced to 267-3 in their second innings thanks to Rob Yates (81), Dan Mousley (70) and Sam Hain (43 not out).

The pitch eased slightly, but the freer run-scoring had more to do with more judicious batting and less disciplined bowling than was evident in the first four sessions.

In the morning, Brook and Jonny Bairstow (25) took their side to within 10 of Warwickshire’s total before falling in successive overs.

Both times the off-stump landed halfway back to the wicketkeeper as Brook missed a drive at Ethan Bamber and Bairstow shouldered arms to Hannon-Dalby.

Warwickshire’s seamers maintained the pressure just as impressively as Yorkshire’s had on the first day.

They received top-drawer support from second slip where Yates took catches off Hannon-Dalby, Thompson and Ed Barnard to account for three of the last four wickets.

The last, a one-handed grab at full stretch to his right to oust Jack White and provide Thompson’s 200th first-class wicket, rounded off a sensational session for the home side.

Such had been the clatter of wickets that a five-over session before lunch appeared an awkward test for home openers Yates and Alex Davies.

They negotiated that and went on to add 95 in 29 overs before Davies (38) leading-edged Matt Revis to extra cover.

Yates reached a 67-ball half-century with his 10th four, flicked off his pads towards the building site where a new stand will be named after the great Dennis Amiss, but finally fell to a fine lifting ball from White which he edged to first slip.

Yorkshire’s bowlers could not emulate the pressure of the previous day, however and Mousley and Hain added 82 in 24 overs.

Mousley eventually top-edged a pull at Logan van Beek to fine leg but Warwickshire have built a position from which they will aim to dictate the rest of the game.

The question facing them, when pondering a declaration, will be how much has the pitch flattened out? With the likes of Brooks and Bairstow in their batting line-up, Yorkshire remain well in the game.