Bopara is currently 152 not out...is he going to walk back into the England team a la Ian Bell and Steve Harmison whenever they do something decent in CC??? Hmmm, I doubt it too...

Another 50 for Adil Rashid as Yorkshire close in on Lancashire's score, it would take an almighty cock-up from one side for a result in the game now, so with these two teams I guess anything is still possible!

When was the last time a Yorkshire number eight made consecutive Championship centuries?

Whilst also taking consecutive 5 fors?

He could be playing himself onto the plane for South Africa if he keeps this late season form up.

Yorkshire 13 ahead at tea.



Bat on the rest of tonight, get 130 or so ahead then have a dart at knocking Lancs over tomorrow.

Yorks 299-6 a lead of 20 and Bopara hit 201 today!

Rashid's century up, shortly after Brophy fell for 99.



As said above, consecutive Championship centuries and 5 fors for Rashid, great effort.

He should be first choice spinner for the SA series. It maybe harsh on Swann but Rashid has too much potential to be he;d back any longer.

Bugger. That's all I've really got to say! Not long since left and now I'm on my way to the Willows so today's not going to improve much!

Forecast suggests there might be a full day tomorrow.



Might as well stick them in and see what happens.



Oh and Rashid's consecutive centuries and five for's is a first for any Yorkshire player.

If he does not get picked for Egland this winter it's a disgrace. Swann is doing well but Rashid has outplayed Monty all year and should be no.2 if not no.1.

Rashid and Shazhad are the ideal players for us this morning both can give it a tonk and Wainwright can support whoevers left, we can add a quick 100 then be bowling at them before lunch.

He got out first ball after completing a predictable double century. However, it has to be said these runs were scored against a Surrey bowling attack bearing more resemblance to the West Indies attack which he plundered for three centuries earlier this year than the Aussie one that subsequently undermined him, and on a Colchester pitch on which several lower order batsmen have excelled themselves, with Surrey's Chris Schofield and Stuart Meaker each passing their previous career best scores by a long distance. Bopara still looked a class act though. Mark Ramprakash, the other batsman in this game recently attracting the media's attention, hit Danish Kaneria for an enormous straight six on the first day before uncharacteristically getting out to an impatient loose shot after becoming becalmed.



He shouldn't walk straight back into the England team in South Africa, but I feel Bopara is a better long term bet than Ian Bell and should get another chance next year if he keeps piling on the runs in county cricket. England's biggest problem is a lack of excellence; we've got a lot of players who do "alright" most of the time and do enough to keep their place in the team, but without producing the sort of champion performances that turn a game and ultimately win it for their team, as Stuart Broad has probably done in the current Test. I feel Bopara can eventually develop into a top Test batsman. (I found it interesting that Justin Langer's leaked dossier on the England players actually advised not to bother sledging Bopara as, if anything, it would galvanise him. If he can address his technical flaws this has to be the type of character we need.)

Rashid should be the replacement for Flintoff for me...he's quite clearly a magnificently talented cricketer (even if he was born on the wrong side of the hills

) and can bat as well/better than any other potential all-rounder in the country...add in the fact he's a leg spinner and it would improve our bowling attack no end...even with playing 2 spinners I think we'd look a far better side than if we had Harmison in it as the Flintoff replacement!!

I'm vary wary of indroducing a new young player as "an all-rounder". Even Ian Botham initially got in as a "bowler who could bat" at 8; likewise the late Ben Hollioake, who was a year younger than Flintoff when he lost his life 7 and a half years ago - if only those two could have gone on to play regularly for the same Englnad team.



Rashid should go on the winter tour as one of two spinners along with Swann, and the fact that he may eventually become a top six batsman is a bonus for me at this stage. He took around 65 Championship wickets last season and is running into form again this year. He now merits consideration for his bowling ahead of Panesar even if his batting was no better than Panesar's. Next time we need to pick two spinners in a Test match Rashid simply must get chosen ahead of Panesar now. Broad will surely score a Test century before long and now he's well established I'd begin by pushing him up to 7 with Rashid at 8 and Swann at 9.

Rashid ended up 157*, superb knock - I think we're pretty screwed now we lose him and Bresnan to the ODI squad.



Looks destined for a draw with Lancs 45/1 at lunch, 108 behind - two more drops this morning off Bresnan - another wicket or two might have made it a bit interesting.

A 4th career century at just 21 and a career-high score for Deirdre...it was only against us and our massively depleted seam attack though

still have to get the runs and wickets though so fair do's to him I say.



Loye and Laxman have more or less saved this game with their partnership (another good one between these 2 yet again)...155-2 and a lead of 2 runs.



EDIT 172-2 now, Laxman has his 4th score of 50 or above in his last 5 innings'...what a bl00dy player he is.

No surprises that it ended in a draw.



Big game starting Wednesday against Warwickshire, we need a win really - but with Bresnan and Rashid unavailable I'm not sure where it will come from.

Warks 53/4 at Lunch against a weakend Yorkshire side.

Worcestershire wicketkeeper Steven Davies joins Surrey on a 3 year contract: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket ... 220287.stm

Worcestershire wicketkeeper Steven Davies joins Surrey on a 3 year contract: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket ... 220287.stm

The ECB have announced next season's domestic structure. # LV= County Championship has been given priority in the fixture programme and has been confirmed as a two-division competition of 8 home and 8 away matches from 2010 - 2013. # The enhanced Twenty20 competition will be played in pools of 9 teams (8 home and 8 away) on a geographic basis (North v South) with the top four teams qualifying for the Quarter Finals from each pool from 2010 - 2013. # The domestic limited over competition will be played mainly on Sunday afternoon throughout the season consisting of 3 pools of 7 teams with 6 home and 6 away matches progressing to a Semi Final and Final in September. The powerplays and fielding restrictions will be the same as per International cricket but the match will be played over 40 overs. www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=3177 (Apologies to the Yorkies for having to go onto our site. ) I think that's alright myself.

The ECB have announced next season's domestic structure. # LV= County Championship has been given priority in the fixture programme and has been confirmed as a two-division competition of 8 home and 8 away matches from 2010 - 2013. # The enhanced Twenty20 competition will be played in pools of 9 teams (8 home and 8 away) on a geographic basis (North v South) with the top four teams qualifying for the Quarter Finals from each pool from 2010 - 2013. # The domestic limited over competition will be played mainly on Sunday afternoon throughout the season consisting of 3 pools of 7 teams with 6 home and 6 away matches progressing to a Semi Final and Final in September. The powerplays and fielding restrictions will be the same as per International cricket but the match will be played over 40 overs. www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=3177 (Apologies to the Yorkies for having to go onto our site. ) I think that's alright myself.

My problem with that structure is that it eliminates 50 over cricket from the programme. Given that's the length of games in the international arena, I would prefer to see that replicated at county level, rather than the 40 over competition they've gone with.

I agree with you on that front...if they are copying international cricket re the powerplays, field restrictions etc then why is it 40 overs and not 50??

Other than that, seems OK to me.



And the pink ball that is being trialled looked excellent on the telly last night...pink is the new red and/or white!!

3 pools of 7?



Who are the extra 3 teams? Ireland, Scotland and ??????