JASON GILLESPIE hailed Adil Rashid for helping to get Yorkshire out of trouble with the bat against Somerset as they secured an LV= County Championship draw at Taunton.

Rashid enhanced an excellent personal record in this particular fixture, but he fell one short of a second-innings hundred as the champions batted out a final day which they started in danger of losing.

He shared a sixth-wicket stand of 117 with Jonny Bairstow, who made 66 off 138 balls in a stand which started late on day three.

After Yorkshire conceded a lead of 47 on first innings, they were bowled out for 419 in their second with a lead of 372.

There was never any danger of Somerset chasing the target because their innings only started at 4.50pm and finished with them at 6-1 from two overs.

Glenn Maxwell’s off-spin opened the bowling and removed Marcus Trescothick caught at mid-wicket.

Rashid became the second man in the match to make 99 after Somerset’s Tom Cooper did likewise on day three, taking his record to 711 in eleven matches against Somerset, including three fifties and three hundreds.

He hit 12 fours in 198 balls before flicking part-time off-spinner Johann Myburgh to short fine-leg, leaving Yorkshire at 331-8, a lead of 284 with a minimum of 48 overs left in the day.

The hard work had been done, and coach Gillespie said: “The difference between 100 and 99 is one run on the team total. Let’s face it, it’s a personal milestone.

“It would have been fantastic for Rash to have got three figures. It would have been his fourth against Somerset. But it wasn’t to be. He still did a wonderful job in getting us out of the poop.”

Gillespie had mixed feelings after seeing Yorkshire claim 13 points to go third in division one and 12 behind leaders Durham after five matches. Durham have played six.

"I think from the position we were in, to come away with a draw is a pass mark,” he added.

“However, we've had a good conversation in the dressing room after play and there is plenty of work for us to do.

“We were well below par with the ball, barring Steve Patterson. I thought he was outstanding.

“I think our batting, we need to be a bit more ruthless. We are getting a lot of starts and not going on. Jack Leaning got a good hundred and Tim got one down the order, but it's our top six that need to step up and do the business.

"There's no blame game going on with our players. We just want to improve and be better each time we play.

"The bowlers didn't get it right. The conditions here, the margin for error is probably a little bit smaller, but we just have to adapt to that.”

Rashid shared a seventh-wicket stand of 89 with Tim Bresnan (29) either side of lunch before Steve Patterson and Jack Brooks shared 64 for the tenth either side of tea.