STEVE Patterson hailed the character of his Yorkshire side as they hit back from early strife in the Roses clash at Emerald Headingley to take a stranglehold on the contest.

Defending a target of 230 in this Specsavers County Championship relegation battle, Ben Coad claimed 4-14 from 10 overs as Lancashire slipped to 95-7 and closed on 109-7.

It leaves Lancashire with a mountain to climb - not just in this match but also in the relegation battle.

Only a remarkable turnaround today would deny Yorkshire a monumental win, given they would leapfrog the Red Rose in the table and still have a game in hand and two to play.

Yorkshire were bowled out for 209 on day one and saw Lancashire close on 105-0 in reply.

Since then, it has been one-way traffic in favour of the White Rose, who conceded a first-innings lead of 43.

Yesterday, Yorkshire resumed their second innings on 127-3, leading by 84.

They were bowled out shortly before tea for 272, underpinned by Gary Ballance’s 85 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 63.

Captain Patterson, who hailed Coad’s performance, said: “It ended up being a good day.

“If you look at how the game’s gone so far, the first day didn’t quite go as we’d have liked.

“I thought we were a bit soft with the bat and got bowled out for 50 to 70 runs short of what was a fair total.

“With them 105-0 at close, you think ‘If we don’t get it right day two, we could be dead and buried’.

“The character we showed on day two with the ball to bowl them out in two sessions was fantastic.

“The way Gary and Tom applied themselves from 25 or 30-3 was outstanding.

“Yesterday we spoke in the dressing room about how big the first hour was. If we lost two or three quick wickets, we’d have been 80 or 90 for five or six.

“But the lads showed composure in tough circumstances. We felt anything over 200 we had a chance with.

“Then the way the lads went about their work (with the ball) in the evening session was outstanding.

“We knew if we started by keeping them dry, we’d create chances. We got Davies early and chipped away before Brooksy and Coady had a mad half-hour.

“I was absolutely delighted at the end of the day to be where we were but we have a lot of work to do this morning and a professional job to do to try and win the game. Certainly, if you’d have offered me this position at the start of the day, I’d have taken it.

“Ben bowled beautifully, and we know what he’s capable of. You’ve seen it last year and this.

“It was touch and god whether he’d play after his side strain. Had we have had a four-man seam attack, he probably wouldn’t have played with the workloads he’d have had to get through.

"It wouldn’t have been worth the risk, but Coady has shown his quality.”