Bairstow leads fightback after Yorks top order fails

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Headingley:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Yorkshire 205-7 v Kent
Yorks 1pt, Kent 2pts
Match scorecard

Bairstow's half-century was his second in consecutive innings

Yorkshire's batsmen struggled against tight Kent bowling after being put in on a green pitch in a vital County Championship match for both sides.

Yorkshire lost wickets regularly after Adam Lyth was dismissed by Simon Cook for 17.

Captain Andrew Gale fell lbw to Dewald Nel for 39, but from 93-5 Johnny Bairstow (62no) led a fight-back.

Adil Rashid (29) and Ajmal Shahzad (21) also made important contributions before Yorkshire closed on 205-7.

Bad light and drizzle restricted the opening day's play to 58 overs.

Kent, needing a victory in order to avoid relegation, were happy to win the toss and insert Yorkshire on a green pitch which offered plenty of assistance to the seam bowlers.

Lyth and Jacques Rudolph survived until the ninth over when Cook found the edge of Lyth's bat and he was caught at first slip by James Tredwell.

Anthony McGrath drove loosely outside off-stump in the next over from James Coles and was caught by Martin van Jaarsveld at second slip, but Gale made good progress while Rudolph continued cautiously at the other end.

The ball before lunch, however, brought about the downfall of Gale, leaving Yorkshire 81 for 3 at the interval.

Rudolph, who had occupied the crease for two hours for his 25, was bowled by Nel and in the following over Gerard Brophy played Coles into his stumps, but Bairstow and Rashid responded by taking the attack to Kent.

Two short stoppages for the thinnest of drizzle which barely wet the ground drew some barracking from Yorkshire fans, but when play did resume Rashid drove Cook gloriously through the covers for four.

The sixth-wicket stand moved on to 65 in 13 overs before Rashid drove wildly at Nel and was caught behind by Geraint Jones for 29 off 37 balls with five fours.

Bairstow pulled Coles for four to reach a sparkling 50, his eighth half-century of the season. It contained nine boundaries and came off 81 balls.

A cheer went up when Shahzad found the square-leg boundary off Nel to secure a batting point, but the same over saw Ajmal dismissed for 21 to give Nel his fourth wicket.

Kent seamer Dewald Nel told BBC Radio Kent:

"It was nice to get selected, I've been waiting for it all year really. Injuries haven't allowed it but I've been hanging in there.

"We probably didn't start the best in terms of putting the ball in the right areas but ultimately it's probably in the balance at the moment.

"Maybe we can finish the season with a bang. Our number one aim is to win this game and if it prevents them from taking the title then so be it.