YORKSHIRE remain on course for a fifth LV= County Championship win from eight matches having taken nine Durham wickets during the third day at Emirates Durham.

The defending champions wrapped up the Durham first innings for 208 after they had started play at 140-5 replying to 557-6 declared.

Durham then reached close at 244-4 from 70 second-innings overs following on, which means a deficit of 105 ahead of the final day.

Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale was pleased with his side's efforts and said: "I thought we bowled well all day. We put the ball in good areas.

"The heavy roller flattened the pitch out a bit but I couldn't ask any more from the lads really. We got nine wickets in the day and we'd settle for that.

"They are still 100 behind and that's a lot of runs. They've got to bat at least a session to even draw level.

"You saw what happened in the morning session. If we get a wicket or two in the first half hour, there's no reason why we can't go through them again."

The wickets were shared around the visitors' attack. Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks both struck twice in an over before lunch during Durham's first innings and Adil Rashid returned 2-81 from 25 overs in the second.

Rashid bowled a 24-over spell unchanged from the Lumley End from just before tea through to close, having Keaton Jennings caught at silly mid-off for 41 and Paul Collingwood snared at slip driving for 20.

Gale said: "I thought Rash bowled really well. To bowl like he did from one end without playing much red-ball cricket over the last month, I thought his pace was good and he turned the ball on a seamer-friendly pitch."

Rashid, playing his third match of the season, has 15 Division One wickets to his name to date.

Given his workload on the third day, it is fair to assume that he will get the chance to claim a first five-wicket haul since last September in the crucial Roses win over Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Yorkshire's victory bid was held up mainly by Durham's left-handed opener Mark Stoneman, who made 116 not out off 192 balls with 14 fours and a pulled six off Bresnan.

Stoneman shared a stand of 116 inside 34 overs with Jennings (41) either side of lunch to signal Durham's first opening partnership of 100 or more this season.

Steve Patterson and Brooks were the other wicket-takers in Durham's second innings.

After Rashid made the breakthrough to get Jennings, Patterson made it two wickets inside three overs shortly before tea when he had Scott Borthwick caught behind, leaving the score at 129-2 in the 37th over. Borthwick had made 54 in Durham's first innings before lunch.

When Collingwood departed to Rashid, Durham were 168-3 in the 48th over – and that became 213-4 in the 61st when Brooks had Michael Richardson smartly caught behind by a diving Jonny Bairstow.

Brooks was involved in a couple of eye-catching dismissals. In bowling tail-ender Jamie Harrison before lunch, he sent the off and middle stumps cartwheeling.

If Yorkshire can win their third match in a row, they would go 11 points clear at the top after eight fixtures – one less than current leaders Durham.