Warwickshire trail Yorkshire by 335 runs after their first innings

It is arguably impossible to attend a cricket match at North Marine Road and not enjoy the experience.

This venerable old venue, with it's backdrop of elegant houses, its field sloping gently downhill from the sea and gulls circling insouciantly above, is still pretty much as it was when Warwickshire first visited it in 1899. Gorgeous.

Who could be blind to its charm? The plethora of children playing their own little Test matches on the outfield during the intervals. The low murmur of anticipation, pre-play, from true cricket-lovers many of whom have been coming here for decades.

No, it's near-enough impossible to not relish cricket at Scarborough. But, yesterday, Warwickshire's players didn't relish it at all. Three two-hour sessions hanging upside-down from a canal bridge having their faces pecked at by angry mallards would have offered them greater pleasure.

Throughout the first half of this match they have been second best. On the first day, emphatically. On the second, yesterday, embarrassingly.

Yorkshire started this match with joint fewest batting points (with Warwickshire) in the First Division. In no game had they posted the first-innings 400 for maximum batting points.

Yesterday, abetted by punchless bowling and, at times, abject fielding and wicket-keeping, they breezed past that mark on the way to 536 - a lead of 335.

"Can we play you every week?" yelled a member of the home support beside the cockle-stall. Never mind the cockles, Warwickshire, in this match and in their season, are in a king-size pickle.

When Yorkshire resumed on 122 for two yesterday morning, the Bears needed to apply immediate pressure. Briefly, they did - but only from one end.

From the Pavilion End, Neil Carter bowled an excellent spell. Aggressive and accurate, he conceded just 12 runs in eight overs and removed both overnight batsmen.

Joe Sayers reached 72 from 128 balls with 14 fours but then lifted a drive to Ian Westwood at cover. Night-watchman Jason Gillespie edged an away-cutter.

Carter had three wickets in a championship innings for the first time this season but he could not bowl the Bears back into the match alone.

At the other end Heath Streak's rhythm was awry. The skipper's opening spell the previous day was disappointing and again he failed to find his range. A five-over spell cost 29 and meant the requisite pressure on the batsmen was not applied from both ends.

As Michael Lumb and Andrew Gale rebuilt, the spirit drained from Warwickshire.

The bowlers, the admirable Paul Harris apart, were largely milked while the fielding dipped towards the risible.

Ground-fumbles abounded, not least when Streak allowed Gale's off-drive off Tim Groenewald to pass through his hands to the boundary. Minutes later, when Gale, on 51, chipped Harris to mid-on, Mark Wagh inexplicably dropped a sitter. Tim Ambrose endured a horror of a day behind the stumps.

Amid all the untidiness Harris wheeled away impressively on the way to a richlydeserved five-for.

He delivered barely a loose ball in a spell, either side of lunch, of 17-6-29-2, defeating Gale in flight and finally getting some reward when he bowled Lumb middle stump.

Six overs later Harris added the scalp of Adil Rashid, pouched by Luke Parker at short leg. But any hopes of a Bears fightback were extinguished by a century stand from Gale and Gerald Brophy.

Gale grew in confidence the more he was fed half-volleys. A standing ovation greeted his maiden century, from 158 balls, with 18 fours. It was churlish, on his big day, to point out the assistance he received from the opposition.

Still Harris plugged away. He should have had Gale on 146 but Ambrose missed a simple stumping. He finally did get him on 149 (from 208 balls with 23 fours and a six) bowled through a tired mow.

Gerard Brophy then took up the cudgels, advancing to 97 (146 balls, 11 fours and a six) before being bowled by the last ball of the day.