Plunkett enjoys a five-wicket haul

LIAM PLUNKETT claimed his first five-wicket haul in the LV County Championship since September 2009 yesterday as Yorkshire stunned reigning champions Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Despite rain preventing play from starting until 2.30pm on day one, the 28- year-old from Middlesbrough made up for lost time either side of tea as the hosts were bowled out for just 128 inside 52 overs.

Plunkett, back in the side after week’s rest, even took his first three wickets without conceding a run in 18 balls as Warwickshire slipped from 42- 1 to 46-4 after 22 overs following Andrew Gale’s decision to bowl first.

The ex-Durham quick returned to mop up the tail and finish with 5-32 from 13.3 overs before Adam Lyth and Joe Sayers replied with 11-0 from five overs at close.

Swing was a fast bowler’s primary weapon and Plunkett initially cashed in on the pressure created by new ball pair Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson, who picked up two and three wickets respectively.

The bowlers were also backed up expertly in the field. Lyth took three catches at second slip, Gary Ballance two at first and Rich Pyrah a stunner at point – two-handed diving high to his left – to get Plunkett up and running.

Home captain Jim Troughton ploughed a lonely furrow with 65 not out off 132 balls.

Plunkett has made an impressive start to his three-year contract at Headingley, also taking a career best 6-33 on his first-class debut against Leeds/Bradford MCC University last month.

“The lads started off well, Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson,” he said.

“I thought they bowled in good areas and kept the runrate down. When I came on, I started with a widish one that got hit to point. My day went from there. I’ve felt in good rhythm all year, but this was my day. To get five-for, I’m delighted.”

This was a day when Yorkshire made the rest of the division sit up and take notice.

They have played some excellent cricket in wins against Durham and Derbyshire and last week’s draw against Somerset, but to shine in the champions’ backyard will have people considering them as serious title contenders.

Plunkett had Will Porterfield caught by Pyrah, Darren Maddy trapped lbw and Tim Ambrose caught at second slip by Lyth. He returned to get Chris Wright caught by Ballance at first slip and Boyd Rankin caught and bowled with successive deliveries.

“As a bowler when you’ve got three-for and there’s two wickets to get, you want to be fighting for the ball because you want to take a five-for. I wanted to bowl,” added Plunkett.

“Galey wanted to take me off the over before, but I asked for another over and managed to take two in two. I wanted it bowled or lbw, but it was hit straight back to me. I’ll take that.”

Should Tim Bresnan be left out by England today, he will replace Pyrah in this match.

SCORECARD

Warwickshire v Yorkshire
At Edgbaston.
Warwickshire First Innings
V Chopra c Lyth b Sidebottom .............. 4
W T Porterfield c Pyrah b Plunkett ........14
J O Troughton not out ..........................65
D L Maddy lbw b Plunkett ..................... 0
T R Ambrose c Lyth b Plunkett ............. 0
C R Woakes b Patterson ...................... 1
R Clarke lbw b Sidebottom ...................13
T P Milnes c Lyth b Patterson ...............11
J S Patel c Ballance b Patterson ........... 9
C J Wright c Ballance b Plunkett .......... 0
W B Rankin c & b Plunkett ................... 0
Extras (b4 lb5 nb2 pens 0) ......11
Total (51.3 overs) ...................128
Fall: 1-12 2-42 3-42 4-46 5-55 6-71 7-111
8-127 9-128
Bowling: Sidebottom 15-5-23-2. Patterson
17-4-46-3. Plunkett 13.3-6-32-5. Pyrah 6-
1-18-0.

Yorkshire First Innings Close
A Lyth not out ....................................... 5
J J Sayers not out ................................ 4
Extras (nb2 pens 0) ...................2
Total 0 wkts (5 overs)...............11
To Bat: P A Jaques, A W Gale, G S Ballance,
A U Rashid, R M Pyrah, L E Plunkett, A J
Hodd, R J Sidebottom, S A Patterson
Bowling: Rankin 1-1-0-0. Wright 2-0-7-0.
Woakes 2-1-4-0.