Tuesday 9 September 2014 10:23, UK
Yorkshire know a win over Nottinghamshire will clinch them the LV= County Championship for the first time since 2001 – but they will have to get over the line without captain Andrew Gale.
The White Rose county took a major step towards the Division One crown by thrashing Roses rivals Lancashire by an innings last week.
You work your entire career towards a goal, you want to go down as the captain to lead Yorkshire to the Championship. To not be able to do that is disappointing.
That result, coupled with nearest rivals Nottinghamshire being beaten by reigning champions Durham, means the Tykes hold a 26-point lead at the summit with two rounds of matches remaining.
A victory would clinch the title in style, while their hosts at Trent Bridge must get three more points than their opponents to remain in the running going into the final week of fixtures.
The only setback for Yorkshire has been the suspension handed down to skipper Gale after he was hit with a level two breach of county cricket’s disciplinary code following an incident with Lancashire batsman Ashwell Prince at the end of the third day at Old Trafford.
Having already accrued six penalty points, the left-handed batsman was hit with a two-game ban that means he will now have a watching brief for the remainder of the domestic campaign.
"Not to be leading the side out for the next few weeks is disappointing, but I'm backing the lads to get the job done," Gale told Sky Sports.
"Last week I was devastated when I found out the news when I came off the field. It obviously took the gloss of what was a fantastic win in the Roses game.
"You work your entire career towards a goal, you want to go down as the captain to lead Yorkshire to the Championship. To not be able to do that is disappointing.
"But we have got tremendous belief in our squad in the minute, whether I'm in the team or not. I'm back the lads to do it."
As well as Gale, Yorkshire will also be without overseas player Kane Williamson – the New Zealander is away playing for Northern Districts in the Champions League t20 competition.
However, the absence of the duo is covered somewhat by the availability of England pair Joe Root and Gary Ballance, with the former taking over the captaincy fresh from scoring a one-day century against India at his home ground of Headingley.
Root has led the team once before this season, a defeat to Middlesex, after Gale stood down to allow his county colleague to feature before the beginning of the international summer.
Tim Bresnan is also available after being ruled out of England’s plans for the one-off Twenty20 International on Sunday.
Notts, meanwhile, will be wanting to keep their title hopes alive, as well as bounce back from a semi-final defeat in the Royal London One-Day Cup to Durham that scuppered their hopes of a trip to Lord’s.
Watch all four days of Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire LIVE on Sky Sports 2 HD, starting from 10am on Tuesday
