Gillespie holds up Lancashire

Yorkshire capitulated in the face of tight, controlled Lancashire seam bowling but ended the third day just 16 runs adrift of the follow-on target with that man, Jason Gillespie, providing another dogged tailend performance. Not for the first time this season, the Lancashire captain Mark Chilton turned to Tom Smith for a breakthrough who duly provided, bowling Matthew Wood for 13. And when Luke Sutton caught Matthew Lumb off Smith's bowling, Yorkshire had stumbled to 99 for 3. Darren Lehmann and Anthony McGrath rallied with a fourth-wicket stand of 57, but Lehmann was outdone by Gary Keedy's flight, allowing Sutton to whip off the bails. With the dangerman gone, Yorkshire collapses from 156 for 4 to 198 for 9 until Gillespie (39*) and Deon Kruis (21*), the No. 11, edged Yorkshire up to the follow-on target. If this last pair can knock off the final ten runs needed to avoid the follow-on, the game is as good as safe with just one day to go.

Durham made slow but steady progress on the second rain-affected day against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, but nevertheless made the most of their time in the middle to reach 332 for 6. Jonathan Lewis and Gordon Muchall extended their promising partnership last night, nothing up a vital hundred stand before Lewis was trapped lbw by Paul Franks. Gary Pratt batted cautiously for his 26 before Dale Benkenstein played the anchor innings, adding useful stands of 64 with Pratt and 47 with Gareth Breese. After a brief rain delay, Benkenstein was trapped in front by Mark Ealham for a patient 73 shortly before the close.

Michael di Venuto could only add a further three runs to his overnight 90, but two excellent hundreds from Steve Stubbings and Travis Birt has put Derbyshire into the comfortable position of 399 for 6 on the second day against Leicestershire at Derby. Di Venuto fell to David Masters for a fine 93, and the same bowler accounted for Chris Taylor (23) soon after. However, Stubbings continued where he left off last night to bring up his hundred and, together with Birt put on 148 for the third wicket to hand Derbyshire the advantage.

Yet another hundred from Mark Ramprakash, together with useful and aggressive lower-order contributions has put Surrey in complete control of their match against Worcestershire on day two at The Oval. Ramprakash was in belligerent mood, cutting powerfully and lofting a huge six. He and Butcher (74) shared in a third-wicket stand of 156 before Ramprakash was bowled by Kabir Ali for a magnificent 118. Rikki Clarke then took up the attack in a brisk, and all too brief, 38, containing two sixes and four fours before James Benning smashed a 54-ball 52 as Surrey declared on 501 for 7. In reply, Worcestershire raced to 54 without loss, trailing by 446 runs.