McGrath hoists Yorkshire with magnificent ton

The former England all-rounder has fought back splendidly after a disappointing 2009 to score 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the third time in his career.

Following the high plateau of 2005 and 2006, when he made 1,425 and 1,293 runs respectively, McGrath's career graph appeared on the wane.

The 34-year-old averaged 46 in 2007, 34 in 2008 and, burdened by the pressures of the captaincy, just 33 in 2009.

Incredibly, when McGrath struck 55 during the second innings of the Championship game against Kent at Canterbury in April, it was the first time he had reached fifty in 25 first-class innings dating back to June 2009.

Since then, he has never looked back.

That performance at the St Lawrence ground was the first of 10 scores of 50-plus in 11 innings as McGrath rediscovered his finest form.

With 1,104 Championship runs this summer at 52.57, McGrath is locked in an intriguing battle with Lyth (1,227 at 55.77) and Rudolph (1,110 at 55.50) to see who will finish the club's leading scorer.

During 16 seasons as a Yorkshire player, it has to be questioned whether McGrath has performed much better than he did at Chester-le-Street yesterday.

His magnificent, unbeaten 124 almost single-handedly kept the visitors afloat in a game vital to both teams' title chances.

After Yorkshire began day two uneasily placed on 125-7 in reply to Durham's first innings 213, McGrath – 28 overnight – batted superbly.

Helped by Ajmal Shahzad (15) and Steve Patterson (7), with whom he added 66 for the ninth-wicket and 46 for the 10th-wicket, McGrath carried Yorkshire to an unlikely first innings lead, Durham responding with 207-6 to leave the game intriguingly poised – if slightly in Yorkshire's favour.

Following the loss of Richard Pyrah lbw to Liam Plunkett in the day's fourth over, there was an early sign McGrath meant business.

He stroked an on-driven four off former Yorkshire pace bowler Mitch Claydon that was too good even for the MCC coaching manual as it thumped into the advertising boards at the Finchale End.

When McGrath then crashed Claydon through mid-off for four with sumptuous timing, he looked every inch a man on a collision course with a century.

The only thing that threatened to stop him was a lack of partners, but Shahzad and Patterson played their part before the former was caught behind cutting Chris Rushworth and the latter held in the gully by Dale Benkenstein off Plunkett.

McGrath went to three figures from 175 balls with 17 fours and a six thumped high over mid-wicket off Rushworth.

It was his 32nd first-class century – five of which have come against Durham – and his third at Chester-le-Street.

Only once did he look troubled, Steve Harmison surprising him with a short delivery that struck him a painful blow in the midriff.

McGrath did not field for the first 90 minutes of Durham's second innings as he received treatment, Jack Hargreaves acting as substitute.

After 17 wickets tumbled on the opening day in an orgy of penetrative bowling and profligate batting, only four went down during the first two sessions yesterday as Durham made generally peaceful progress to 104-1 at tea.

They lost Michael Di Venuto with the total on 50, the Australian adjudged lbw to Oliver Hannon-Dalby and appearing decidedly unimpressed with the verdict.

In a fascinating final session, Yorkshire reasserted themselves with five wickets.

Shahzad, who claimed the first five-wicket haul of his career during the first innings, produced a beauty to bowl Gordon Muchall to leave Durham 134-2 in the 38th over.

No runs had been added when the persevering Patterson had Mark Stoneman caught behind for 78, the opening batsman registering his highest Championship score for three years.

Durham slipped to 157-4 when Ian Blackwell drove loosely at Hannon-Dalby and was smartly caught at third slip by Jonathan Bairstow – and then to 174-5 when Bairstow claimed Ben Stokes at second slip off Patterson.

Hannon-Dalby bagged his third wicket when Phil Mustard was caught at first slip by Jacques Rudolph, and the 21-year-old pace bowler – deputising for England's Tim Bresnan – can only derive heart from his spirited display.

There were one or two further close shaves before the end, but Dale Benkenstein (35) and Plunkett (8) lived to fight another day as the game builds towards a gripping climax.