YORKSHIRE suffered a major blow in their bid to save their game against Derbyshire on the final day of the Championship match at Headingley today.

Michael Vaughan was bowled by Graeme Welch on a rain-hit morning lifting the visitors' hopes of victory.

After a 45-minute hold-up for bad weather Vaughan and Matthew Wood soon added rapidly to the 12 they had made overnight but a draw was the best Yorkshire could realistically hope for after being set a victory target of 407 in a game in which they had been thoroughly outplayed.

The highest winning score they have ever achieved is 331-8 against Middlesex at Lord's and there was little chance of them going well beyond that today.

Heavy early morning showers and a damp field caused the day's first 12 overs to be lost but Vaughan, particularly, refused to go on the defensive in cool and blustery conditions.

He began by cutting Kevin Dean for four but when he had reached 16 his impetuous approach almost cost him his wicket. He aimed a big drive at Dean but the ball found the edge and Graeme Welch dropped a straight forward catch at first slip.

Derbyshire's captain, Dominic Cork, operated from the Kirkstall Lane end and he got plenty of movement off the pitch when Wood aimed to square leg and saw the ball shoot off through point, allowing him to score a couple of fortunate runs.

Cork's next ball to Wood resulted in a loud lbw shout being rejected but the bowler came in for harsh treatment from Vaughan who showed his England class with two fours and a three in one over.

The highly competitive Cork was giving it his all but he was probably also rueing his decision not to enforce the follow on yesterday morning when Yorkshire trailed by 192 runs on the first innings.

The score was still on 53 as spots of rain began to fall but Derbyshire remained on the field and Vaughan and Wood had no sooner got into the players' tunnel on the way to the dressing rooms than they were recalled. Five runs later Derbyshire got their breakthrough when Vaughan was bowled by Welch for 38.

Yorkshire were outplayed yesterday with only Richard Blakey putting up brave resistance as Yorkshire's last six wickets crashed in 48 minutes fornthe addition of 27 runs.

Updated: 15:22 Monday, May 12, 2003