Tykes on top in Roses draw

7:12pm Friday 15th August 2008

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Yorkshire produced a County Championship performance to crow about, despite being unable to claim victory against Lancashire at Old Trafford on the final day.

The Red Rose county were made to sweat with bat in hand for two sessions in order to save themselves from a damaging second defeat of the season.

In the end they managed it comfortably, thanks in the main to Paul Horton’s unbeaten half-century, but they had been reduced to 29 for three in the tenth over of their second innings.

Yorkshire controlled this match, which only began midway through the second day because of rain, courtesy of encouraging shows with both bat and ball.

They are now five points clear of the LV Division One relegation zone after claiming 12 from this fixture.

Incredibly, they are only 21 points behind leaders Nottinghamshire with four games left but, perhaps more significantly, 20 adrift of second-placed Durham having played a game more.

Despite their inferiority, Lancashire have also closed the gap at the top, something their performance did not merit.

“If we can play for the rest of the season the way we have done in this match, and against Surrey, I’d like to think we can challenge at the top,” said Yorkshire director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon.

“We need to win three out of four but if we play like that and get decent weather, then who knows. I am sure there’s a lot of twists and turns still to come with it being so close at the top.”

Yorkshire captain Darren Gough was delighted to see his side secure the maximum five batting bonus points. He declared shortly after lunch on 400 for six but would have hoped to do so a little sooner.

Andrew Gale completed a fine 136, his third ton of the campaign, while Jacques Rudolph also hit a brisk 54 off 77 balls in a third-wicket partnership of 87.

Tim Bresnan was 47 not out when Gough called a halt to the batting effort.

Matthew Hoggard had Iain Sutcliffe caught behind by Gerard Brophy in the first over, before Bresnan had Stuart Law caught at short mid-on by Gough and Adil Rashid bowled Francois du Plessis.

Lancashire opener Sutcliffe, who was born in Leeds and played for Farsley in the Bradford League, has been in a retched run of form lately and announced his immediate retirement from professional cricket after the game.

Gough even bowled Rudolph and Adam Lyth on a turning track, trying desperately to get the breakthrough.

But bad light curtailed the game 16 overs early with Lancashire on 104 for three, despite Yorkshire having Rashid and Lyth on, Horton finishing 69 not out.

Moxon said: “I think we played good cricket throughout the game. I am very pleased with the performance and I hope we can continue that for the rest of the season.

“Given the result at Hampshire, we needed a good performance and we have got to be happy with that, so congratulations to the players.

“We have got ten days or so before we play championship cricket again and that’s just a quirk of the fixture list.”

Yorkshire face Derbyshire in the Pro40 League Division Two next Thursday and return to County Championship action a week on Wednesday against Kent at North Marine Road in Scarborough.