Yorkshire v Scotland (Friends Provident Trophy)

YORKSHIRE captain Darren Gough has confirmed that he will retire from first-class cricket at the end of the county season.

The former England Test and one-day star ended speculation about his future before yesterday's Friends Provident Trophy victory against Scotland at Headingley.

"I have always been confident that this would be my last season.

It is time for me to call it a day at the end of September,"

said the bowler, who made his Yorkshire debut in 1989.

"I want to spend some time with my children - I want to watch them play cricket. I am nearly 38, and I have had a really good innings. Everyone has their time, mine is September."

Gough, who returned to his home county last winter following a spell with Essex, has always strongly hinted that he would hang up his boots sooner rather than later.

But he had left the door ajar by saying that he would only go when the club's youngsters are ready to step into his shoes: "I still want to bring on the young lads before I go," he added.

"I have loved captaining Yorkshire, but it's been getting harder to play the four-day games. I have had a great career, and have brought a lot of youngsters into the game.

"I shall be staying in touch with all my friends, but it is time to concentrate on the family."

Gough's decision has probably been accelerated by his lack of action so far this season.

He played just one game on the club's pre-season tour of the United Arab Emirates, while he has also missed two County Championship games and one Friends Provident game with varying injury niggles.

He is still England's highest ever one-day international wicket- taker, with 235 from 159 matches.

And he also claimed 229 wickets in 58 Test matches. He took a famous hat-trick in an Ashes Test at Sydney in 1999.

The 2005 Strictly Come Dancing champion has already had offers to play Twenty20 cricket in India, and added: "I am still massively in love with the game.

"I will still play at some standard.

I don't want to go into anything too competitive - probably pub cricket."

Gough claimed 3-40 from his ten overs in yesterday's seven wicket victory over the Scots.

Vice-captain Anthony Mc- Grath hit his highest score of the season in any competition, a brilliant unbeaten 105, to help chase down a testing 245 from 50 overs.

Jacques Rudolph also hit an entertaining 82 from 95 balls, including eight fours and one six.

It now means, coupled with Durham's comprehensive win over Derbyshire, that Yorkshire will top the North Division with a win over Lancashire at Headingley tomorrow.

Ryan Watson and Colin Smith both hit half centuries to reach 244 all out - and make sure Yorkshire would have to score their highest score of the competition to win.

Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid both notched two wickets apiece, while McGrath added one scalp to his fine day.

Yorkshire expect Deon Kruis to be out for a month with a hamstring injury - the fourth of their bowlers to go down with that ailment in the last three weeks.

SCORBOARD

Yorkshire v Scotland At Headingley Carnegie

Scotland Innings G M Hamilton c Pyrah b A U Rashid ... 34 R R Watson b Gough ...54 E J Cowan b A U Rashid ... 19 C J Smith b ... 60 D F Watts lbw b McGrath ... 34 N F McCallum run out ... 1 R M Haq c Pyrah b Gough ... 16 J A Blain b Bresnan ... 13 C S MacLeod b Bresnan ... 1 G Goudie b Gough ... 2 J D Nel not out ... 4 Extras (lb2 w4 pens 0) ... 6 Total (50 overs) ...244 Fall: 1-90 2-90 3-123 4-179 5-180 6-216 7- 235 8-237 9-238

Bowling: Bresnan 9-1-54-2. Kruis 7.2-1-23-0.

Pyrah 8.4-0-49-1. Gough 10-2-40-3. A U Rashid 10-1-36-2. Rudolph 1-0-8-0. McGrath 4-0-32-1.

Yorkshire Innings A W Gale lbw b Nel ... 33 C White c MacLeod b Nel ... 3 A McGrath not out ...105 J A Rudolph c Nel b Goudie ... 82 G L Brophy not out ... 2 Extras (b6 lb2 w10 nb2 pens 0) ... 20 Total 3 wkts (40.4 overs) ...245 Fall: 1-30 2-59 3-223

Did Not Bat: A U Rashid, T T Bresnan, R M Pyrah, A Lyth, D Gough, G J Kruis.

Bowling: Blain 3-0-17-0. Nel 8-0-53-2. Goudie 8.4-1-61-1. MacLeod 7-0-41-0. Haq 9-0-42-0.

Watson 5-0-23-0.

Yorkshire beat Scotland by seven wickets.