Ballance century ahead of judgment day

Nottinghamshire94 and 61 for 3 need 391 runs to beat Yorkshire282 and 263 for 4 (Ballance 101*) Scorecard

“Does tha’ think Ballance should have done it?” “Batted again?” “Aye”

Thus the opening exchanges of a conversation between two strangers in a Scarborough convenience store very early on the third day of this game. The decision by Gary Ballance not to enforce the follow-on was still creating interest. Scarborough is cricket town.

And it is cricket town even when the sea swaps Wednesday’s blue ruffle for this morning’s turbid grey and the clifftop castle is cloaked in gothic mist. Even as the drizzle stopped in North Queen Street, the chat over kippers and coffee concerned follow-ons and refreshed bowlers, the substance of the discussion quite as informed as might be found in a members’ enclosure or press box. Maybe more so.

And it is cricket town when folk are found queueing at nine o’clock on a clammy morning with little chance of a prompt start. It seems almost an article of faith in Scarborough that you turn up for the cricket even when there is limited chance of any taking place. After all, you can always talk about the game even if you can’t watch any.

Perhaps faith is always repaid in this place. The 2,634 souls who arrived at North Marine Road eventually saw 35.2 overs of play and most of it will have pleased most of them. Yorkshire got things under way, albeit 40 minutes late, by scoring 63 runs off 12.2 overs. Some 35 of those runs were whacked by Tim Bresnan, whose batting style conjures images of an all-you-can-eat carvery with plates the size of centre circles.

The Yorkshire all-rounder’s six over …

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