Yorkshire appetites whetted after Sidebottom’s four

Yorkshire 460 (Lees 132, Ballance 71, Lehmann 58) and 225 for 2 dec (Lyth 114*, Lees 88) beat Durham 265 (Borthwick 53, Brooks 4-76) and 192 (Pringle 57*, Sidebottom 4-34) by 228 runsScorecard

As Yorkshire, pressing for a hat-trick of Championship titles, completed a thumping 228-run defeat of Durham, at Headingley the satisfied feeling was that the normal order of things had been restored. They remained top for all but 10 minutes, which was hardly long enough to exhale a satisfied smile, before Middlesex’s win at Trent Bridge reclaimed a one-point lead. But they had tasted the lead again and it felt good.

Somerset, lying third and suspected by Yorkshire, among others, of chicanery when it comes to preparation of pitches, visit Headingley next week while Middlesex head for the other side of the Pennines to face a Lancashire side that still needs points to stay up. “Somerset are full of confidence and playing good cricket, but it won’t be a bunsen burner,” Gale said. Everything seems to be heading towards a grand climax between Middlesex and Yorkshire at Lord’s with the Championship at stake.

This was an emphatic Yorkshire win. Like the Mountain Ash trees in the gardens of the red-brick houses around the ground, they are at their most resplendent. Their batsmen are in commanding form, the pace bowlers as fit and fresh as they have been all season. They walked off the field on a blustery Headingley day in the way that the best Yorkshire side should, applauding each other and the crowd with stern and satisfied expressions.

Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and David Willey are about to be released from England duties. Only Rashid can be confident of a game next week. Steve Patterson must contend with personal issues. He had left the match for much of the third day – his captain, Gale, confirmed – because his father is seriously ill.

The final day belonged more than anybody to Ryan Sidebottom. He …

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