The England and Wales Cricket Board's pitch adjudication panel was present at Trent Bridge today for the third day of Yorkshire's championship match against Nottinghamshire.

It had been convened on the recommendation of ECB pitches consultants Chris Wood and Harry Brind who were present yesterday after 17 wickets had crashed on the first day.

Although only 34 overs were possible because of rain, Yorkshire-born Wood and his colleague felt that they should call in the panel, which will consist of ECB cricket operations manager Alan Fordham, former England captain Mike Denness, who is chairman of the ECB pitches advisory committee, and David Dunkley, a member of the Lancashire CCC committee who is also on the advisory committee.

Nottinghamshire, who have already been warned twice about their pitches this season, are in danger of having points docked.

Although they are unlikely to lose 25 points for preparing a pitch unsuitable for a four-day match they could be docked either ten or 15 points if the pitch is found to be 'poor'.

It was virtually impossible for Wood and Brind to make an informed judgment on the pitch yesterday because Nottinghamshire bowled so badly that there was little to worry Yorkshire's later order batsmen.

The consequence was that when rain ended play in mid-afternoon following two other brief stoppages for bad weather, Yorkshire had gained a one run lead on the first innings before reducing Notts to six for one wicket.

It was Richard Blakey who was chiefly responsible for pushing Yorkshire right back into the game with a splendid knock of 60 and featured in a last wicket stand of 42 in 17 overs with Paul Hutchison.

Although Blakey and Hutchison batted with sound commonsense, their task was made easier by the feebleness of Nottinghamshire's four-pronged attack.

Wides and no-balls helped Yorkshire's cause as Notts' saw their lead slipping away without any visible signs of alarm.

Blakey, having progressed mostly in ones and twos, hit consecutive balls from David Lucas on either side of the wicket for boundaries to reach his third half century of the season and twice in one over he cut Alex Wharf to the fence before the paceman flattened his off-stump.

A one-run lead was far greater riches than Yorkshire dared to have hoped for at 39 for five and their spirits were lifted still further when Silverwood trapped Usman Afzaal lbw before he had scored but the rain then set in to deny Yorkshire any further progress.

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