STEVE Patterson picked the ideal time to return season’s best figures of 4-46 to set Yorkshire on their way towards what would be a crucial Specsavers County Championship victory over Warwickshire tomorrow.

Patterson led an impressive White Rose attack on day three at Headingley as they bowled their visitors out for 251 to set a victory target of 175 after tea. They later closed on 56-3 from 21.4 overs.

A 21-point victory, a fourth success of the campaign, is now in their grasp with Gary Ballance at the crease.

Should that happen, Patterson and company will take a giant step towards avoiding relegation.

They would have matched Middlesex’s victory over Lancashire at Lord’s.

That would leave Somerset with a mountain to climb against Middlesex at Taunton next week. The best they can realistically hope for is a draw against Surrey at the Oval tomorrow.

Patterson’s summer has been a frustrating one. The club’s beneficiary for 2017, who has one year left on his contract, was largely overlooked for the One-day Cup campaign before faring better in the T20 Blast with 14 wickets from 12 matches.

Prior to this fixture, he had only taken 14 wickets from seven previous Championship outings and struggled on a flat pitch against Surrey at the Oval last week.

The 33-year-old’s selection to face the Bears was only confirmed when Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out with a quad injury.

Patterson was at his metronomic best during his 26 overs in an all-round Yorkshire bowling display which had echoes of the Championship-winning campaigns of 2014 and 2015.

Ben Coad claimed his 50th first-class wicket of his breakthrough season, while Tim Bresnan claimed three wickets in four overs either side of tea to break the back of the Warwickshire resistance.

Despite Warwickshire being relegated last week with two rounds still to play, they have showed impressive resolve to battle back from 49-6 on day one to keep Yorkshire on their toes.

They started the day on 49-1, trailing by 28, and advanced through Jonathan Trott’s 59 and 49 from wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Patterson struck once in the morning to get Ian Bell caught behind for 14 off the inside edge as the score fell to 109-3, a lead of 32.

Trott reached 50 off 72 balls just before lunch, but he was the first of four afternoon wickets equally shared by Patterson and Bresnan.

Patterson trapped Trott and Matt Lamb lbw, with Warwickshire five down for 161 and leading by 84.

Bresnan then broke the Bears resolve with the sixth, seventh and eighth wickets in quick succession.

He bowled all-rounder Alex Thomson and had Ambrose caught low down at first slip before the break and got Chris Wright caught at mid-off afterwards.

At that stage, the visitors were 230-8 in the 78th over, leading by 153.

Patterson’s fourth wicket came with the second new ball when he uprooted Jeetan Patel’s middle stump before Coad’s 50th of the season was that of Ryan Sidebottom caught at second slip to wrap up the innings.

Yorkshire’s progression with the bat was not without alarm as Sidebottom trapped Adam Lyth lbw and off-spinner Patel had Alex Lees caught behind as the score fell to 25-2.

If Warwickshire are to spring a surprise tomorrow, Patel will be their biggest threat. Mind you, Ballance did pull him for six in 16 not out before losing Kraigg Brathwaite caught at short-leg off Patel in the day’s final over.