Warwickshire cling on in attempt to extend Jacques Rudolph's jinx

Yorkshire have never won a match under the captaincy of Jacques Rudolph and Warwickshire are threatening to keep it that way despite being forced to follow on at Headingley. Nottinghamshire's defeat at Essex has given Yorkshire a golden opportunity to strengthen their position at the top of the table, but if Warwickshire repeat their plucky resistance on the final day it could mean more heartache for Rudolph. Warwickshire followed on 172 runs behind, bowled out before lunch as Yorkshire's seam bowler Steve Patterson took their last three wickets to finish with four for 57. Just the time, it seemed, for Rudolph to improve upon an unfortunate record that has included one draw, in the Roses match at Old Trafford, a tie in a Twenty20 against Northants and eight defeats. But it will be far from straightforward, with showers trimming overs from the day as efficiently as the barbers outside the ground trimmed ageing locks. Warwickshire take a lead of 21 into the final day. Warwickshire were certainly thinking big off the field. Middlesex have admitted that they have been approached by Warwickshire for permission to speak to England's Eoin Morgan , one of the hottest properties in one-day cricket, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Middlesex are loth to lose him – indeed they would quite like to add Kevin Pietersen as well after his decision to leave Hampshire. From Middlesex's point of view, it would help finance it if England gave Morgan a central contract. "Angus Fraser, our director of cricket, is very keen to keep Eoin," a Middlesex spokesman said. If Warwickshire did manage to pull off the coup of signing Morgan, it would leave Ashley Giles, their director of cricket and an England selector, in the unusual position of supervising the development of three batsmen who could conceivably be competing for one spot in the England side. Warwickshire's T20 gates have been poor despite a run of success – and Morgan is one of the few batsmen who has the appeal to swell the crowd enough to pay his salary in a couple of matches. The other two England contenders, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, are not playing here, but Warwickshire dug in well without them. When Adil Rashid, who is approaching his best form again, took three quick wickets, leaving them 83 for three, it was possible that Warwickshire could subside to defeat in three days. Worse followed when Jim Troughton got in a tangle against a bouncer from Tino Best and was struck on the helmet. After prolonged treatment he left the field with a cut and swelling above his right eye. He had a precautionary x-ray which showed nothing else untoward and Warwickshire say he is expected to bat tomorrow. But Rikki Clarke played with poise for an unbeaten half-century (51 from 116 balls) and was ably supported by the 18-year-old Ateeq Javed, whose unbeaten 37 is his highest score in his fifth first-class match. Rudolph tried seven bowlers, but Rashid apart, none of them broke through.