By JMB
September 23 2006

Yorkshire reduced Durham to 203-6 and gained enough points to secure Division One safety. This happened during an amazing day where Notts failure to gain more than one bonus point means that if Durham can reach 400 tomorrow Notts will be relegated. Earlier Yorkshire declared there innings at 677-7. CLOSE - DURHAM 203-6. Benkenstein (24) Gibson (7)

CURRENT LIVE TABLE inc points in last round of matches. (in brackets are the points the teams would finish on if Yorkshire and Durham draw and Notts lose. Please note these do not include the points still available to Yorkshire, Durham and Middlesex in their current games)

Notts 153.0 (153.0 assuming a loss)
Yorks 150.0 (154.0 assuming a draw)
Durham 144.5 (148.5 assuming a draw)
Middlx 124.5 (124.5 assuming a loss)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP SITUATION - Nottinghamshire have done their utmost to keep both Yorkshire and Durham safely in division 1. If Yorkshire get two bowling points and Durham get 5 batting points then Notts are down as they have been dismissed for 165 in their first innings against Sussex and therefore only collect one bonus point in the match! If Yorks get 1 bowling point then they will be tied with Notts, not sure the outcome then. If Durham don't get 5 batting points they are down. This is all assuming Notts lose and Yorks and Durham draw, which at the moment look the probable outcomes.

BREESE OUT bowled Rashid for 6. DURHAM 191-6. Looks like Yorkshire and Notts are safe. I don't think Durham can get to 400 from this position.

DURHAM 188-5. Benkenstein (16) Breese (6). If Yorkshire take another wicket tonight safety is assured and a win in this match would then be likely and put any other permutations out of the equation anyway, e.g. an unlikely Notts revival. It seems to be a straight fight now between Durham and Notts.

DURHAM 176-5. Benkenstein (10) Breese (0) That's what I call some quick wickets. Mustard OUT lbw Kruis for 0. Harmison OUT ct Guy bowled Kruis 0. Yorkshire take control of the match and their season!!!!! Kruis has taken 3-24.

DURHAM 176-3. Benkenstein (10) Mustard (0)

SCOTT OUT ct Guy bowled Kruis for 77. That's a bowling point for Yorkshire.

DURHAM 168-2. Scott (73) Benkenstein (8)

PARK OUT lbw Gillespie for 77. DURHAM 152-2. An important breakthrough. Gillespie now has 2-12 in his seventh over.

DURHAM 152-1. Scott (65) Park (77)

DURHAM 140-1. Scott (61) Park (69). Current partnership worth 138 runs. This is now Park's highest first class score. His previous best was 68.

DURHAM 123-1. Scott (55) Park (58)

DURHAM 107-1. Scott (47) Park (52). Yorkshire struggling for wickets here. This game is far from over as the wicket still seems a perfectly good batting track.

DURHAM 90-1. Scott (43) Park (39)

TEA - DURHAM 79-1. Scott (39) Park (32)

DURHAM 73-1. Scott (34) Park (31) off 24.3 overs.

MAHER OUT. DURHAM 2-1. ct Guy bowled Gillespie. A great start for Yorkshire.

DURHAM to start their innings facing an almighty task to make an impression in this match.

YORKS 677 -7 declared. Guy (52) Lawson (19)

LEHMANN OUT 339. YORKS 610-7. Guy (8no). Lehmann's highest first class score - a mighty effort and an amazing way to say goodbye to the Yorkshire public. The last time a Yorkshire batsman made 300 was in 1932 - when Herbert Sutcliffe scored 313 against Essex at Leyton. Lehmann's knock leaves him second on the highest individual innings for Yorkshire list behind George Hirst's all-time record for Yorkshire of 341 against Leicestershire at Leicester in 1905.


BRESNAN OUT 3. YORKS 594-6.

RASHID OUT 24. YORKS 583-5.

YORKS 552-4. Lehmann (300) Rashid (16). Well played Boof.

YORKS 544-4. Lehmann (296) Rashid (12) 127 overs bowled. Nearly there lads.

YORKS 535-4. Lehmann (296) joined by Rashid (3)

LUMB OUT for 98. A real shame he misses out on his hundred. YORKS 532-4 and a record partnership of 358 runs. Lehmann still there.

YORKS 532-3. Lehmann (296) Lumb (98).

YORKS 528-3. Lehmann (292) Lumb (98). 122 overs gone. Durham will not be able to pick up bonus points after 130 overs. They need 6 wickets for another bowling point. After 130 overs expect Yorkshire to accelerate and make hay.

YORKS 524-3. Lehmann (291) Lumb (98). Partnership worth 350. Beats the previous Yorkshire record of 330 for the fourth wicket.

The Official Yorkshire cricket website is claiming "Awesome Lehmann saves Yorkshire from relegation" on its homepage but this site would prefer a little restraint. Claims like that have a habit of coming back to bite you.

Yes Yorkshire had a fantastic day yesterday. Yes Lehmann was incredible. Yes Mags and Lumby stayed with him and a score of 473-3 is an astonishing return. Yes we look comfortable and should be confident.

That could change if Lehmann and Lumb fall early. Our tail has a habit of buckling and an all out score of say 550 would not increase our points and would give Durham maximum bowling points. A drawn match with Durham replying with anything in excess of 400 would see Yorkshire relegated. I don't think that will happen but I think celebrations are best left until the fat lady is in full cry.

It would be fitting if Lehmann strode on this morning. His highest score of 301 is in site and only four men have passed the three hundred mark for Yorkshire (Hirst,Sutcliffe, Holmes and Brown). It would be great to see Boof becoming number five. The highest ever score for Yorkshire is Hirt's 341 - anything is possible.

The highest partnership for the fourth wicket in Yorkshire history is 330 and Lehmann and Lumb are within 31 runs of that.

In all the hype surrounding Lehmann's last knock and the relegation survival issue it would be easy to forget Michael Lumb. A naturally attacking batsmen he played second fiddle all afternoon to Lehmann and in the context of the game and season has played the most mature innings of his career.

If Yorkshire play as well again today then the champagne corks can be popped.