By Richard Watts
April 27 2007

Yorkshire maintained their flying start to the season with a win inside three days against Durham. Yorkshire have now won their first two Championship games of the season and sit at the top of the table. Durham won the toss and batted and started solidly but a fine spell of bowling by Adil Rashid restricted them to a first innings 274. Durham captain Dale Benkenstein's 83 was Durham's top score but he was one of Rashid's five victims for 88. Gough weighed in with two wickets and Bresnan, bowling at pace also picked up a couple.

Yorkshire were in trouble at the start of their innings against fine fast bowling from Harmison and Onions and while wickets fell at the other end Joe Sayers held firm. Sayers showing Boycott type concentration batted throughout the innings making an outstanding 149 not out (553 minutes). He received good support from Younis Khan (42) and Darren Gough (50) but it was Brophy's aggressive 80 that helped Sayers put Yorkshire in the box seet. Harmison finished with 6-87 as Yorkshire totalled 414.

Matthew Hoggard's opening spell then clinched the match for Yorkshire. After Darren Gough removed the dangerous Di Venuto with the first ball of the second over, Hoggard took command; he dismissed Muchall, Benkenstein, Harmison and Smith to leave Durham reeling at 17 for 5. They never recovered despite a late flourish from Onions (41 from 33 balls), Hoggard returning to pick up the last wicket and finish with 5-32.

Full details in the Match Day Magazine.