Joe Root returns for Yorkshire as County Championship action continues

Joe Root returns for Yorkshire.

But we’ll have to wait as YJB won the toss and has inserted Sussex – currently 9-0.

“Yorkshire have been on the back foot for all but the first 14 overs of the season haven’t they?” writes Tim Maitland. “A “losing” draw at Glamorgan, where, despite having the home side 28-4, they spent most of the match behind the eight ball and then that 214-run defeat against Hampshire at Headingley, which the Yorkshire Post reports got this scathing verdict from Anthony McGrath: If we keep putting out performances like that it doesn’t matter if we’re playing in the Bradford Sunday School League because we’re going to lose.”

”I can’t pretend to have any experience of Bradford Sunday School League cricket, but if it’s anything like the rest of Bradford cricket it’s probably a pretty high standard... and yet I get the feeling that McGrath’s words were not intended as a compliment.

”Fortunately this Root kid they’re bringing in, is a bit handy. His last four matches? 111, 75, 61 and 160 (and a 6, probably just to prove that he is human). Those were in Colombo and Sydney and January must seem a long time ago and feel a lot different to 9C at Headingley.

”He’s starting the season on 19,089 runs, apparently (I haven’t personally counted them all). Would you bet against him passing 20,000 before September’s done?”

An email drops, with a spring trill. Hello Phil Russell!

“As a Bears fan I’m nervous about what Josh Tongue and Co are going to do to our top order in the first session. Our last four innings have seen us start 22-3, 23-3, 25-3 and 14-3. No surprise Notts decided to field first!”

Just had a peek – is 13-1 good news? Pennington and Hutton have opened the bowling, Tongue pawing the earth.

Good morning! Another glorious one, if a little nippy. On my walk from Vauxhall station, the scaffolder filing his bucket and the cyclist zipping past in the bike lane seemed unaware that Gus Atkinson was making his first appearance of the season, for Surrey against Essex.

After last week’s mini-round, we return to eight games, with Middlesex and Northamptonshire the only two sides with their feet up. Poor old Gloucestershire, three losses, three points, and hit by the news that Ben Charlesworth will join Lancs in 2027, must press on.

Games start at 11am, do join us.