Yorkshire's opening county championship game turned into an epic contest at Canterbury, where they snatched a dramatic four wicket win over Kent with two balls remaining.

The eventual match winners were Gary Fellows and Michael Lumb, the latter taking two timely wickets on his championship debut at a time when Yorkshire seemed to be running out of ideas.

When Ryan Sidebottam bowled Kent opener Robert Key for 98 with the 22nd ball of the final day it looked as if Yorkshire would make it a swift execution.

The home side had resumed leading by 49 runs and looked down and out when Matthew Fleming then skied a catch to mid wicket off Chris Silverwood with a shot that was hardly in keeping with a rear guard action.

But for all their gallant efforts, Sidebottom and Silverwood could not make any more progress and skipper David Byas ran out of ammunition.

He was already without Darren Gough, Craig White and the injured Gavin Hamilton and had lost Matthew Hoggard with a back strain after one session of the first day.

Overnight batsman Ed Smith continued to play with style and composure to reach 50 from 84 balls and he had support from Min Patel.

With Yorkshire's depleted attack running out of steam this pair took the partnership to 91 and the game seemed to be heading for a draw in mid-afternoon.

Byas was forced to play a hunch by calling on Lumb, no more than a bits and pieces bowler in a desperate effort to break the stand.

It worked as Patel edged a drive at Lumb's second delivery in the county game to be caught by Simon Widdup at second slip.

Lumb's ninth ball brought him another wicket as Martin Saggers dragged it into his leg stump at which stage Lumb had a amazing figures of 2-5 from two overs.

But Yorkshire were still running out of time with Kent 156 ahead when the ninth wicket fell and they were then held up by David Masters, who hung around long enough for Smith to complete a fine century from 219 balls with 13 boundaries.

Sidebottom trapped Masters lbw as he offered no stroke just before 3.30 pm, which left Yorkshire with a stiff target of 176 in 38 overs.

After a brisk start they suffered a double blow when Michael Vaughan was superbly caught at third man by Mark Eilham, who then had Anthony McGrath taken at first slip from an out swinger.

But Australian Darren Lehmann got Yorkshire moving again with a pulled six off Patel and five glorious fours before he was bowled trying to hammer the spinner though the leg side.

By then Widdup's solid innings had ended when he too was bowled trying to cut Patel and it looked as it Yorkshire might not have enough fire power left to reach the target.

It would have been worse had David Fulton at first slip taken a chance offered by Fellows when he had made only a single but the all-rounder then settled to play a mature innings which took his side to victory.

He and Byas cut the target to 54 off the last 10 overs with the captain hitting some good blows before falling lbw to Saggers with 42 runs needed.

Saggers got upset when one of his leg side deliveries was called wide and later in the over he twisted an ankle trying to kick the ball into the stumps and had to leave the field with seven overs left.

Surprisingly, Fleming did not turn to Ealham and instead bowled himself which aided Yorkshire's cause even though Lumb was run out trying for a second to James Hockley in the deep.

Richard Blakey joined Fellows with Yorkshire needing 17 off the last three overs and they stayed calm, pushing the ball around and running some quick singles.

With five needed off the final over of the match Blakey hit Patel's second ball into the out field for three, and Fellows was left to drive the winning run amid great scenes of celebration.

"Kent made us fight every inch of the way in a grand game but considering our injury problems I felt we played some fine cricket and just about deserved to win," said Byas.

Updated: 12:46 Monday, April 30, 2001