The feeling is that Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad are facing a fight this week to see who will fill the last remaining place in England’s team for next week’s first Test with India.

After round one it must surely be the Tykes star who is in pole position.

This is after the fast bowler returned his second-best figures of the year to help Yorkshire into a strong position by the end of the opening day of the LV County Championship encounter against Worcestershire.

He finished with 4-64 at Scarborough in front of the watching selector James Whittaker, as the home county closed on 135-5 in reply to the visitors’ first-innings total of 168 all out.

Bresnan said: “I feel in good rhythm, but I do not know how it is going to go. All I can do is keep bowling well and I know the selectors are watching.”

His typically modest comments are understandable – but given the fact Broad recorded 2-75 on the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s match with Somerset, Bresnan has certainly not done his chances any harm.

After the Tykes had won a good toss and elected to field on a bowler’s wicket, Bresnan was soon into his stride.

He took 1-14 in his first spell of six overs with Rich Pyrah, Ryan Sidebottom and Ajmal Shahzad also striking to blow the Worcestershire top order apart by lunch.

They had slumped to 59-6, with Vikram Solanki (18) and James Cameron (10) the only men to even reach double figures, before the Tykes’ assault continued.

Gareth Andrew offered some resistance with a plucky 40, but when he fell to a sharp catch by Anthony McGrath off Sidebottom, Bresnan returned to finish the job.

Ben Scott fell for 26 to Adil Rashid in the slips, before two wickets in two balls to remove Jack Shantry (6) and Alan Richardson (0) ended the Pears’ innings in emphatic fashion.

Bresnan added: “I took one look at the wicket in the morning and wanted to carry it around with me. It’s nice to bowl on and I think it’s a good all-round cricket wicket.

“To win the toss and bowl them out for 168 is job done as far as the bowlers are concerned. The batters have got to stamp their authority on this game now.”

This was partially done, with the limelight then turning to captain Andrew Gale by the close.

Wickets fell around him, with Anthony McGrath the only other member of the county’s top six to make it past 16, as the 27-year-old skipper plundered his way to an unbeaten 68 at the end of proceedings.