Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill during the early stages of his season’s best 88 here at Headingley this morning.
Yorkshire are closing in on safety. The county’s Division One status in the Rothesay County Championship for 2026 is close to being secured after a strong day three against Durham at Headingley, also throwing into the mix Hampshire’s struggles in chasing down 181 to beat Surrey at Southampton.
The White Rose county are doing the job nicely all for themselves against relegation rivals Durham at Headingley, getting themselves into a strong position to seal the draw they required at the start of the day.
But now, they might not need to worry, with the other team in the mix, Hampshire, on a knife-edge in their game against a Surrey team who have narrowly missed out on a fourth successive Championship.
At the Utilita Bowl, Hampshire crumbled from 61-0 to 148-9. They need 33 more to win. Should they lose, it doesn’t matter what the result is here at Headingley. Yorkshire would be safe.
For Durham, if Hampshire lose, they would need to draw here to be safe. A Hampshire win and they would need a miracle victory.
Yorkshire, replying to a first-innings 346 all out, started day three on 314-5 and closed on 465-9.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Umpires Michael Burns (l) and Steve O’Shaughnessy takes the players off for bad light this afternoon.
Only 51 overs were possible because of bad light, with no play beyond 3.25pm.
George Hill’s excellent season’s best 88, a skilful and composed innings which saw him hit 14 fours in 149 balls, was the chief contribution.
He shared half-century partnerships with fellow all-rounders Matthew Revis and Jordan Thompson, who contributed 38 and 44 not out respectively.
Hill was cool, calm and collected at the crease, exactly what Yorkshire needed in this scenario.
They lost a couple of wickets during a quiet-ish morning, one interrupted by bad light, which brought lunch forwards by 20 minutes.
The impressive Ben Raine – four wickets with seam and a century with the bat – and Matthew Potts were the Durham wicket-takers. Raine broke a sixth-wicket stand of 50 between Revis, 38, and Hill.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jordan Thompson at the crease today. The all-rounder has posted scores of 57, 38 and 44 not out in his last three innings.
Revis and Hill were the two leading contenders for Yorkshire’s members’ men’s player of the year vote, which the former won ahead of his mate in the Howard Suite last night. Ami Campbell won the women’s award.
Revis was trapped lbw by one angled in from Raine before Dom Bess pulled Potts to deep backward square-leg.
Having shared in one half-century partnership, Hill set about another with Thompson. And, as they became more and more settled, Durham became more and more desperate.
Thompson whipped Will Rhodes over deep mid-wicket for six after lunch before Hill moved to a fifty off 105 balls. Almost immediately, Yorkshire moved to 400-7 and with the lead now 54.
The longer the White Rose innings went on, the graver Durham’s situation became. But they were to get one heck of a lifeline later in the day from a few hundred miles down the road.
When Hill was bowled trying to attack against leg-spinner Shafiqullah Ghafari, Yorkshire were 443-8 and leading by 97. Thompson was into the thirties.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ben Raine (r) has been superb for Durham in this match, with both bat and ball.
Thompson and Hill had shared 86 for the eighth wicket.
Matt Milnes was next to go. Having pulled Ghafari for six, he edged the following delivery to slip, leaving the score 461-9 in the 133rd over, a lead of 107.
There were just under five more overs bowled before umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Michael Burns took the players off for bad light for the third time at 3.25pm.
Unfortunately, no more play was possible. Play was called off just beyond 5.15pm.
Yorkshire can sleep comfortably overnight.
For Durham, they will be full of nerves and having to prepare for a couple of entirely different tasks which could face them tomorrow.
