Tykes scent victory

Two quick wickets for Chris Silverwood gave Yorkshire the scent of victory after they had set championship leaders Surrey a 300 target in a minimum of 88 overs at Headingley today.

Nadeem Shahid and Alec Stewart tried to retrieve the situation for Surrey but Stewart, and then Alistair Brown fell in quick succession and the visitors staggered in to lunch on 50 for four.

Yorkshire added 45 runs in 25 minutes on the final morning with Craig White completing his century before the declaration came at 196 for four.

White, who started out on 82, blasted Martin Bicknell for six over cover on his way to his eighth championship century which came off 152 balls and contained 12 fours and two sixes. It followed on the heels of his half-century in the first innings - not a bad effort for a player promoted to opener in his first match since mid-June.

Soon after White had reached his century, Parker drove Adam Hollioake high over long off for six shortly before skipper David Byas called a halt.

A third consecutive win for Yorkshire would consolidate their position among the leading clubs while at the same time putting a dent in Surrey's tilt for the title, and the visitors lost a wicket after Silverwood and Hutchison had each opened with a maiden.

Silverwood moved a ball in to Mark Butcher who was trapped lbw on the back foot to bring in Nadeem Shahid to join Ian Ward.

Yorkshire were aware of a threat of rain later in the day but the sun peeped through as Silverwood and Hutchison sought another breakthrough.

Ward clipped Hutchison through mid-wicket to get off the mark, but the bowlers were generally on top in the early stages although the pitch by now had lost some of its greenness.

Silverwood gained his second success when Ward sliced to gully where Michael Vaughan held on to the catch. Alec Stewart and Shahid calmed things down for Surrey and Gavin Hamilton came on at the Kirkstall Lane end for Silverwood who had taken two for 14 in six overs while Matthew Hoggard replaced Hutchison.

Shahid was not afraid to go for his shots, but when he was on 27 he lobbed an intended hook off his glove and David Byas just failed to reach the ball as he rushed forward from second slip.

Just as the third wicket pair were beginning to settle down, Stewart edged a drive to White at first slip to make Hamilton the first Yorkshire bowler this season to claim 50 first class wickets, and then Hoggard had Brown caught behind off the last ball before lunch.

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