Notts and Kent are must-win games for Yorkshire after Hampshire draw at Scarborough (From York Press)

Notts and Kent are must-win games for Yorkshire after Hampshire draw at Scarborough

10:30am Friday 27th August 2010 in

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Updated: CAPTAIN Andrew Gale believes Yorkshire will have to win both of their remaining games if they are to claim the LV= County Championship division one title.

His comments came after a battling display from the Tykes on the final day at Scarborough was enough to eventually secure a seven-point draw against Hampshire.

“We will definitely have to beat Nottinghamshire in our next game now,” said Gale.

“This result means we are certainly still in the hunt to win the championship, though, because the title race is still wide open. I am proud of what the players have achieved.”

If they are to overcome their chief rivals Notts in their next four-day match in 12 days time, and then Kent at Headingley a week later, Yorkshire will probably have to improve on their performance on the final day against Hampshire.

After the visitors eventually declared before lunch with a first-innings lead of 176, after Jimmy Adams and James Vince had smashed the county’s all-time record for a fourth-wicket partnership, it appeared that the Tykes were going to comfortably bat out the rest of the day for a draw.

However, after Adam Lyth was caught by Adams at short fine leg off Dominic Cork for 44, the nerves started to creep in at 87-1.

Jacques Rudolph was the next to go for another impressive innings of 54, with a rare rash shot to find Michael Carberry at point off David Balcombe, before Anthony McGrath departed for 20 to leave the Tykes three down.

By this stage Hampshire still had a lead of 29 runs and it suddenly meant that the earlier partnership between Adams and Vince of 278, which was also the most that any two players have ever put on for the fourth wicket at Scarborough, might have been enough for them to force an unlikely win.

Fortunately, after captain Gale was out for 24, York-based Jonathan Bairstow once again showed his ability to perform under pressure to see the Tykes home.

His innings of 50, along with Gerard Brophy’s unbeaten ten, meant that the players shook hands at 4.55pm to rubber stamp the stalemate with a Yorkshire declaration on 225-4.

“I think in recent seasons we probably would have lost this game,” added Gale. “We have shown once again that this team has plenty of fighting spirit and the good thing is we are very difficult to beat. That is very encouraging.”

Meanwhile, the ECB have confirmed the date for next year’s one-day international at Headingley.

England will take on Sri Lanka on July 1.