YORKSHIRE suffered a double shock against Gloucestershire at Headingley today when they lost their first two second innings wickets in the space of seven balls to stand on 7-2 with an overall lead of only 139.

And there was another setback for them at 29-2 when a thick drizzle drove the players off the field.

Long delays are the last thing which Yorkshire need because they must win the game if they are to gain promotion to the Championship's First Division, whereas Gloucestershire need only draw to go up instead.

Yorkshire began the third day on two without loss but the final ball of the first over from Jon Lewis was edged by Craig White to second slip, where substitute fielder Martyn Ball took the catch. Ball was on the field in place of paceman Mike Smith, who was nursing a bad back.

It was the second failure of the match for White, who was out for a duck in the first innings, and he was followed back to the pavilion in the next over by Anthony McGrath, the captain drilling Ian Harvey low to Tim Hancock at short extra cover.

Yorkshire were suddenly in a lot of trouble, but Matthew Wood and Michael Lumb batted positively together despite deteriorating light and a thin drizzle.

Wood cover drove Lewis to the boundary and in a later over he was thumped for three further fours, twice by Lumb and once by Wood.

There was one ball remaining of the tenth over when the drizzle forced the players off, Wood having made 17 and Lumb nine.

The rain began to get heavier and with the full square being covered the delay looked like being a lengthy one.

Yorkshire looked like being able to enforce the follow on yesterday when Gloucestershire found themselves on 247-8 and still requiring a further 80 for safety.

But former Yorkshire left-armer Ian Fisher was then joined in a ninth wicket partnership of 97 with Lewis which reduced their side's final deficit to 132.

Fisher was last out for his season's best score of 71 from 102 balls with ten boundaries.

Yorkshire's most successful bowler was Chris Silverwood, who finished with five for 75, his second five-wicket haul in consecutive Championship innings.

Bradford-born Fisher had made it a 33rd birthday to forget for Darren Gough as he bravely saved Gloucestershire from the follow-on and gave his side a chance of promotion instead of his exasperated ex-colleagues.

Fisher notched his highest score of the season and it was off Gough that he hit most of his fours to dampen the former England bowler's birthday celebrations.

Although Fisher initially had some anxious moments against Gough, he rapped back by slamming him for three fours in one over and when Gough later took the new ball the left hander on-drove and leg glanced consecutive deliveries to the fence.

There were ironic cheers from the crowd when off-spinner Richard Dawson was brought on for the first time at 308-8 with the innings 88 overs old and the new ball about to be claimed but it was Chris Silverwood who broke the stand by knocking out Lewis's off-stump with a fine yorker after he had made 36 from 78 balls with seven fours.

Fisher followed in the next over when he drove McGrath to substitute fielder Chris Taylor and deep mid-off.

Updated: 14:18 Friday, September 19, 2003