Yorkshire v Warwickshire: Stumbling Tykes face testing final-day victory target

Former England batsman Jonathan Trott is comfortably Warwickshire's top run scorer this summer, with 947 runs from 13 Championship matches

Yorkshire, county champions in 2014 and 2015, face a potentially nervy final day at Headingley if they are to claim the victory which would go a long way to avoiding relegation to Division Two.

Already-relegated Warwickshire, 49-1 overnight in their second innings, made 251, thanks largely to skipper Jonathan Trott (59) and Tim Ambrose (49).

That set Yorkshire 175 to win, with 21 overs to face in the gathering gloom.

But Jeetan Patel claimed two of three wickets as Yorkshire closed on 56-3.

• REPORT: Finn's 8-79 gives Middlesex crucial win

After Adam Lyth was leg before wicket to Australian seamer Ryan Sidebottom, spinner Patel then had Alex Lees caught behind.

Home skipper Gary Ballance then gave a chance to the slip cordon before rallying well to take 12 off one Patel over.

But, in the final over of the day, Patel struck again by removing West Indies Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite.

Brathwaite made 134 and 95 in the match when the Windies won the second Test against England on this same ground less than a month ago. But this time he went for 17, taken at short leg by fellow debutant, 18-year-old Liam Banks.

That left Yorkshire, rocked by news of Middlesex's win over Lancashire earlier in the day, still needing a further 119 runs to win on the final day, with seven wickets remaining.

All in the balance

Victory on the final day for the Tykes could open up a healthy 18-point gap over seventh-placed Somerset, who look in trouble in their game with Surrey at The Oval.

Yorkshire must go to new champions Essex at Chelmsford next week in the final round of games, when Somerset host Middlesex at Taunton.

Yorkshire fast bowler Steve Patterson:

"After the way we bowled first innings, we'd have liked to have got them out a bit quicker. But they dug in and have played well.

"If you'd have offered us a target of 175 at the start of the game, I certainly would have accepted it, and I think most of the lads would.

"Patel is a quality bowler and has been for a number of years for them. It's going to be tough against him because it's spinning. But we've got good players to combat him.

"In the context of the season, it's huge. Middlesex have won, which gives them breathing space from Somerset and us at this moment. If we get on the right end of it, we're in a healthy position going into that last game. If we don't win, we'll be up against it. It's in our own hands, and that's all you can ask for."

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose told BBC WM:

"It was overcast with the lights on all day, and their guys bowled exceptionally well on a wicket with a bit in it and to get that kind of total was very impressive.

"We worked as hard as we could and hung in there to give ourselves a chance. Guys stuck and put a shift in. Now we've got to out and win it.

"Our fate's been sealed and we're still a long way from where we want to be, but some of our youngsters have shown they can stand up and be counted.

"There's quite a bit of turn and a bit of bounce too which gives us confidence and there's plenty there for the seamers too, as the Yorkshire bowlers showed earlier."