Yorkshire battle hard but slump into drop zone

Andrew Gale’s men dropped to eighth in the First Division on a day of mixed emotions for the White Rose.

Gale led a defiant rearguard at Chester-le-Street, scoring a superb, unbeaten 101 to steer his side to 280-4 after they began the final day on 13-0, 210 runs behind.

But Worcestershire’s victory at home to Hampshire saw them leapfrog Gale’s team, who face the prospect of sliding into Division Two one year after they went within a whisker of winning the title.

That all seems a long time ago as Yorkshire search for success in the competition that matters.

Since their win at Worcester in the opening match, Yorkshire have lost four Championship games and drawn four.

They sit eighth in the table with 67 points from nine matches – one place above bottom club Hampshire, who have 36 points and two games in hand.

Worcestershire have 72 points from eight fixtures after climbing to the sanctuary of seventh place with their second successive victory after they began the season with six straight defeats.

Yorkshire’s next Championship match is against Worcestershire at Scarborough (July 11-14) – the significance of which cannot be overstated.

Yorkshire still have seven games to save themselves and although there is genuine cause for concern, there is also genuine cause for hope.

Faced with a 200-run plus deficit against the best side in the country, some teams would have crumbled and crashed to defeat.

Not Yorkshire.

Galvanised by Gale and aided by gritty contributions from Adam Lyth (69) and Gary Ballance (53 not out), they frustrated Durham.

“I was really pleased with the fighting spirit,” said Gale, whose side performed a similar escape in their previous Championship match at Sussex.

“We’re a good fighting team; what we’ve got to do now is learn how to take the game away from the opposition when we get our noses in front.

“We dropped crucial catches in this game and let Durham off the hook, and you can’t afford to do that against quality teams.

“But to come out with a draw gives us confidence, and there’s a bit more confidence and belief in the dressing room than we perhaps had a few weeks ago.

“There’s still a lot of cricket to be played and we know we can improve.

“Last year, everything we touched turned to gold and the lads who came in didn’t just do well, they did exceptionally well.

“Sometimes, I think we can take our eye off the ball as to where we are with this team.

“It’s a developing team and the lads are working extremely hard to turn things around.”

Lyth and Joe Root set the tone yesterday when they resumed their opening partnership in overcast conditions.

The pitch seemed to have calmed down a touch, although there was still seam movement, while the occasional ball climbed or kept low.

It was one of the latter variations that accounted for Root, who played back to a delivery from Graham Onions that trapped him lbw to end a stand of 50 in 17 overs.

Yorkshire slipped to 59-2 in the following over when Anthony McGrath was strangled down the leg-side off Steve Harmison for a duck.

It was a dismissal that summed up McGrath’s season and one felt for him as he walked off the field.

The former England man is struggling at present and faces pressure for his place from Joe Sayers, who scored an unbeaten 56 out of 91 all-out for the Yorkshire Second XI against Durham at Darlington yesterday.

Yorkshire were in trouble when McGrath departed but Lyth and Gale added 95 in 22 overs to steady the ship.

Lyth played some delightful square-drives and cover-drives on his way to his highest Championship score of the season before he was stumped pushing forward to Ian Blackwell.

Yorkshire slipped to 160-4 when Jonny Bairstow was run-out following a mix-up with Gale.

Bairstow pushed Blackwell to mid-wicket, hesitated and was run-out by Dale Benkenstein in a desperate attempt to reach the bowler’s end.

Gale forged on to reach fifty from 83 balls with six fours in a typically resilient and good-looking knock.

Ballance kept him company as they added 120 in 37 overs before the sides shook hands, the Zimbabwean having one life on 23 when he was dropped by Gordon Muchall at first slip off Callum Thorp.

It was a difficult chance high to the fielder’s left and would have left Yorkshire effectively minus eight for five.

Yorkshire return to Twenty20 action this evening against Derbyshire at Headingley Carnegie (5.40pm).

Ryan Sidebottom is rested as Yorkshire chase a fourth victory in seven group games.