OTTIS GIBSON says Yorkshire’s inability to bowl sides out twice in games is the biggest threat to their ambition of becoming a genuine promotion contender in the County Championship.

Yorkshire were frustrated once again on Monday when they had to settle for a draw against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

It was their fifth draw in seven games so far this season – the other two encounters both ending in defeat – with Yorkshire now at the halfway stage of their four-day campaign still searching for their first win in the competition.

They are one of four teams without a win so far but, despite being second-bottom in the standings, they remain only 32 points adrift of current leaders Sussex, who have won three games so far.

NOT QUITE: Yorkshire's Adam Lyth celebrates taking the wicket of Northamptonshire's Rob Keogh at Wantage Road on day four of their County Championship clash, but the visitors couldn't bowl their hosts out for a second time in the game. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

Clearly, Yorkshire are going to have to find a way of ending their barren run if they are to stand any chance of living up their pre-season billing as Division Two title favourites.

At Wantage Road, they again came close but were ultimately thwarted by Northamptonshire opener Ricardo Vasconcelos, who scored a superb 129 not out as the hosts closed out the game on 250-8, 76 runs short of the target set by Yorkshire earlier in the day.

“I’m frustrated because losing the toss on a green pitch and they put you in, we were 202-1 with the opportunity to make a big score and bat them out of it,” said Yorkshire first-team coach, Gibson. “To only make 360 was a little disappointing.

“Then, to have them 181-7 (in the first innings reply) with the opportunity to knock them over – the game hinges on key moments.

SIDELINED: Yorkshire's Ben Coad was ruled out of the Northamptonshire contest at Wantage Road with a back injury. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

“We had a key moment with the bat where we could have made a bigger score and a key moment with the ball struggling to take the last three wickets.

“That’s something which has plagued us ever since I’ve been here. The last three wickets put on 100 again. These are things we’ve been talking about for a while now.

“If we fixed that side of our game, there are possibilities we could have won four games out of the seven and we’d be top of the log instead of somewhere in the middle.”

Injuries have played their part, of course, Yorkshire going into the Northamptonshire contest without either Ben Coad (back) or Matty Fisher (ankle), both recently plagued by early-season injury issues.

FRUSTRATION: Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

They were also without fellow pace bowlers Mickey Edwards and Matt Milnes, neither of who will play any further part this season having been diagnosed with stress fractures of the foot and back respectively earlier this month.

Yorkshire now don’t resume their Championship campaign until Sunday, June 23 when they welcome Gloucestershire to Scarborough.

They must now switch their attention to the Vitality T20 Blast which gets underway this Thursday at Headingley against Worcestershire Rapids.

Yorkshire CCC's failure to win 'key moments' threatening County Championship promotion ambitions