Friday 26 September 2014 19:04, UK
Division One champions Yorkshire had to settle for a dramatic draw against Somerset in their final LV= County Championship fixture of the season.
The hosts began day four at Headingley with a deficit of 36 and already two wickets down in their second innings, but kicked on to post a total of 365 to set Somerset a target of 182 for victory.
The away side would have fancied their chances of chasing that total down in the evening session but instead suffered a batting collapse and by stumps were left clinging on to the draw at 151-9.
Yorkshire signalled their intent at the start of the day. Gary Ballance fell for 69 in the morning, allowing Joe Root (97) and Jonny Bairstow (49) to change the dynamic of the match with a fourth-wicket stand of 110 in just 17.4 overs.
Somerset did turn things back in their favour as Peter Trego produced a career-best effort of 7-84 to help roll the lower order over relatively cheaply and finish with match figures of 11-153.
The visitors’ chase looked well set on 62-1 but they then proceeded to lose five wickets for just 21 runs as the pendulum swung back in Yorkshire’s favour.
Marcus Trescothick (44) and Tom Abell (34) were the only batsmen to make any meaningful contributions but they could not complete the job and it was left to last-wicket pair Jamie Overton (12 not out) and Alfonso Thomas (8no) to see out six nerve-wracking overs.
Elsewhere, Sussex clinched third place in Division One for the second successive year after a stalemate with Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Luke Wells hit 162 as Sussex posted 343 in their second innings. However, the standout player on the final day was Northants seamer Azharullah, who returned figures of 7-76 and a 10-wicket haul over the course of the match.
The home side’s target of 418 from 44 overs was well out of reach and the clash was called off when they had made it to 85-1.
