Yorkshire v Lancashire (County Championship) : Day Four

Yorkshire needed to win the Roses match to ease their relegation fears but at least their pride was restored with the draw they managed to achieve at Old Trafford yesterday.

Defeat looked on the cards shortly before lunch on the third day when they lost Joe Sayers with only six scored after trailing by 96 on the first innings, but captain Craig White yesterday followed up Anthony McGrath's century with one of his own to make the game safe, and it slowly petered out during the final two sessions.

The draw was a much more satisfactory result for Lancashire, however, because the 12 points they received to Yorkshire's ten moved them to the top of the First Division table.

Yorkshire began the final day on 191 for two with White unbeaten on 70 and although he continued to bat with unhurried style he had to share the honours with nightwatchman, Steven Patterson, who played some excellent shots of his own in the finest innings of his young career.

The 22-year-old Hull-born paceman hit 67 not out for the Yorkshire Academy last year but in six Second XI Championship innings in 2005 he managed just ten runs and his top score for the side this summer has been an unbeaten 14.

Patterson's first boundary was a scorching cover drive off Tom Smith which he followed up by whipping Gary Keedy through mid-wicket for four before White completed an immaculate century off 240 balls with 14 fours. It was his 17th century for Yorkshire, his fourth in Roses matches and his second of the season.

White had advanced to 116 when he went for a big legside hit off Keedy but the ball spiralled straight into the air for Loye to stroll in from mid-on to hold the catch and end a stand of 80 in 27 overs - Patterson's share a respectable 35.

In an obvious attempt to accelerate the scoring, Darren Lehmann came in above Michael Lumb and Patterson added a couple more boundaries to the four he had already scored before he had his leg-stump flattened by a yorker from Oliver Newby for a defiant and character-building 46.

Lehmann drilled Newby's first two balls after lunch for fours but in attempting to hook the next one for six he was caught tight on the rope by Loye at long leg and three balls later Gerard Brophy bagged a pair by slapping a catch to Mark Chilton at point, just as he had done in the first innings.

These two wickets caused Yorkshire not only to proceed more carefully but to shut up shop altogether and Michael Lumb and Jason Gillespie put on 114 until both were out in consecutive overs - Gillespie lbw to Chilton for 36 and Lumb also stepping in front against Keedy for 68 - so ending the prospect of Michael and his father, Richard, becoming the first father and son to score centuries for Yorkshire in a Roses match.

Lancashire had little wish to part Yorkshire's last pair and go in again themselves, so they let Deon Kruis and James Lee bat on until a declaration was able to end the match with Yorkshire 450 for nine, Loye amusing the remaining fans in the final over by fielding in a trilby which he had borrowed from a spectator.

Scorecard

Lancashire v Yorkshire at Old Trafford.

Yorkshire Second Innings
C White c Loye b Keedy 116
J J Sayers c Law b Hogg 5
A McGrath c Sutton b Newby 102
S A Patterson b Newby 46
D S Lehmann c Loye b Newby 27
M J Lumb lbw b Keedy 68
G L Brophy c Chilton b Newby 0
J N Gillespie lbw b Chilton 36
M A Lawson c Sutton b Keedy 1
G J Kruis not out 4
J E Lee not out 21
Extras (b10 lb13 w1) 24
Total 9 wkts dec (160 overs) 450
Fall: 1-6 2-189 3-269 4-292 5-309 6-309 7-
423 8-423 9-424
Total Bonus Pts: Lancashire 8 Yorkshire 6
Bowling: Chapple 23-7-56-0. Hogg 19-8-51-1.
Keedy 59-11-156-3. Smith 18-3-37-0. Newby 19-
4-69-4. Law 4-0-15-0. Astle 10-1-31-0. Chilton 8-
2-12-1.
Lancashire drew with Yorkshire