JACK Brooks starred in a relentless bowling display which was hailed as "world class" by the opposition as Yorkshire blew Worcestershire away to clinch a ten-wicket LV= County Championship victory inside three days at New Road today.
The England Lions seamer struck four times to help bowl Worcester out for just 100 in their second innings either side of lunch after the visitors had earlier conceded a lead of four runs.
The day had started with the game in the balance, but by tea-time Yorkshire were celebrating the capture of 22 points to start their title defence in remarkable fashion.
Resuming on 298-9 in reply to 311, they were bowled out for 307 before Brooks and Steve Patterson demolished a Worcester batting line-up including England’s Moeen Ali with nine wickets between them.
While Brooks finished with career-best match figures of 9-84, Patterson claimed a career-best innings haul of 5-11 from 7.4 overs.
Tim Bresnan, who hit 83 with the bat, made the initial breakthrough for Yorkshire, who had to bowl without Ryan Sidebottom due to a torn left calf which rules him out of at least the Nottinghamshire game at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
Captain Alex Lees then scored his second fifty of the match on his 22nd birthday as he and Will Rhodes (45 not out) pursued 105 from mid-afternoon onwards with ease.
“It was world-class Test match bowling from Bresnan and Brooks,” said Worcester director of cricket Steve Rhodes, formerly of Yorkshire and England in his playing days.
“That could have destroyed a lot of batting line-ups.”
Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie was equally complimentary towards his side’s performance, especially given they were missing seven first-team regulars through international calls or suspension.
"That's one of the best wins I've been involved in, and I've been involved in a lot. This is right up there,” he said. “The scoreboard is probably not a true reflection of how hard we've had to work.”
Gillespie, meanwhile, was today officially appointed coach of Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash League.
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