David Byas was entitled to his wide grin for proving the Doubting Thomas's wrong as Yorkshire overwhelmed Glamorgan by 328 runs at Swansea yesterday to increase their lead at the top of Division One of the CricInfo Championship table.

It was the joint fourth highest winning runs margin in Yorkshire's history and the biggest in 54 years, but it would not have been achieved if Byas's critics in the media had got their way.

Because of a bad weather forecast he was slammed first for not enforcing the follow-on and then again for deciding to continue Yorkshire's second innings in faint drizzle yesterday morning when the lead was already 384.

But the clouds rolled back and Byas was able to register his first century in three seasons before finally declaring at 277 for seven with a colossal lead of 453.

Then Gavin Hamilton made hay while Byas's sun shone to snatch five for 27, his best analysis since 1998, and there were still around 40 minutes to go to tea when Glamorgan's last wicket fell at 125.

Byas was 64 not out at the start of play and mainly with James Middlebrook he helped add 69 in an hour to finish unbeaten on 105 from 162 balls with 11 fours and a six.

It was his first 'ton' since his Roses century at Headingley three years ago and his first in an away match since making 128 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1997.

Whereas Chris Silverwood had demolished Glamorgan in the first innings it was now the turn of Ryan Sidebottom and Hamilton to reduce them to rubble.

Sidebottom began it by having Jimmy Maher lbw offering no stroke and then finding the edge of Mike Powell's bat before Hamilton stepped in, bowling Matthew Maynard with one which moved both ways and rattling Steve James's stumps off an inside edge from his in-swinger

Glamorgan looked demoralised when they went off for lunch at 52 for four and on the resumption Sidebottom had Adrian Dale neatly picked up at third slip by Scott Richardson.

The left-armer also accounted for Keith Newell with a slanting delivery but then Hamilton returned to the fray with three wickets in four balls, Adrian Shaw slicing another catch to Richardson and Darren Thomas being yorked first ball.

Dean Cosker, with five slips and two gulleys up for the hat-trick ball, pushed it on to the on-side for a single but Alex Wharf nudged the next one to Blakey.

Last man Steve Watkin's merry fling was ended when Darren Lehmann came on and his fourth ball was clouted to Silverwood at long-off.

Yorkshire have now won three of their first five matches and are the team that everyone else is chasing but coach Wayne Clark is aware that they had an identical record at this stage last season before slipping off the pedestal.

This was Hamilton's first Championship game of the season after being sidelined with sore shins and he was delighted to return astonishing match figures of seven for 42 off 17 hostile overs.

"I was a bit wide at first but having played a game or two for the second team helped and it was not long before I settled down," he said.

"Conditions were ideal for swing and seam bowling and I thought our first innings score of 280 was at least 80 in excess of what we had a right to expect.

"It was nice to get among the wickets so soon and play a part in winning the game.

"With so many other fast bowlers to call upon, I know I cannot afford to relax because competition for places is so strong but I would not wish it to be any other way."

Although Craig White did not bowl in the game he did turn his arm over in the nets in the morning for the first time since the back injury which has cost him his Test place in the series against Pakistan.

White intends joining up with the England squad for more nets at Old Trafford today.

And if he feels up to it he will be allowed to bowl for Yorkshire in their Championship match against Kent at Headingley, starting on Wednesday.

Updated: 10:24 Saturday, June 02, 2001