Glum Gough Dropped Again

Second Division

Worcestershire 309-5 v Yorkshire

Darren Gough's anger at being dropped from England's one-day squad has barely subsided and now he finds that Yorkshire have no need for him.

Gough was left out of Yorkshire's championship side yesterday in a crucial promotion match where his inspirational presence would once have been viewed as indispensable.

Yorkshire's director of cricket Geoff Cope spoke of squad rotation, of "three fast bowlers champing at the bit" and noted that Ryan Sidebottom had been rested as well.

But Yorkshire bowled listlessly and what champing there was came primarily from the round, red-faced fellow stomping silently back to his car, wondering what to do with an unexpected weekend off. Thoughts of retirement must be increasingly hard to suppress.

The selection had a certain logic. Steve Kirby began with 69 first-class wickets; Matthew Hoggard returned with a career-best in Taunton last week and not to give him the bowling he patently needs after his cartilage injury might incur England's wrath now they have gambled on him for the tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; and Chris Silverwood was reportedly well rested.

None of this passed muster with Ben Smith, Worcestershire's captain, who settled into one of those pleasing, front-foot hundreds, on a blissful late summer's day, that are the epitome of county cricket tranquility but which bear lit tle relevance to winning Tests.

The horse chestnuts around this pastoral setting are already on the turn, and at tea, with Worcestershire plenty for two, Yorkshire's Second Division promotion challenge looked equally sickly. If Gloucestershire, as seems likely, beat Durham and Yorkshire lose here, then Gloucestershire could arrive at Headingley next week needing only a couple of bonus points to take the third promotion spot.

It needed a response and it came belatedly with three wickets in the final session. Smith secured his hundred before he was lbw to Kirby, but Kadeer Ali was caught at the wicket off Silverwood for 99. The PA announcer extolled his "highest first-class score" but Kadeer's face told of a maiden championship hundred that had eluded him.