Yorkshire enjoyed an impressive first half of day three with the ball, but the threat of a Rothesay County Championship defeat against Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside remains heading into tomorrow’s fourth day.
The White Rose started the day with Durham on 264-1 in their first-innings reply to 307 all out and with centurions Alex Lees and Emilio Gay at the crease.
But, less than an hour into the afternoon, Durham had been bowled out for 427, losing their last nine wickets for only 126 as the visiting seamers excelled.
Jack White led the way and finished with 3-76 from 21.2 overs – all of his wickets coming today – while new ball partner George Hill, Matthew Revis and Jordan Thompson all ended with two. New Zealand overseas quick Ben Sears also claimed his first White Rose wicket and took a good diving catch at long-leg.
Yorkshire started their second innings with 59 overs remaining and closed on 132-4, leading by 12.
Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Images. Matthew Revis got the ball rolling this morning with two wickets in as many overs.
Milestone man Adam Lyth reached 15,000 first-class career runs en-route to 53 off 140 balls, and he shared a third-wicket stand of 75 with Dawid Malan, who made 37. Unfortunately, both were out during the final hour.
It means Yorkshire are by no means safe in this match. But there is a threat of heavy afternoon rain tomorrow.
Yorkshire were outstanding at the start of the day, claiming five wickets before lunch to stymie Durham’s progress.
When play resumed, with Lees on 148 and Gay 105, the majority of the talk around the ground was about a Durham declaration at some point during the afternoon.
But both men fell – Lees for 172 off 240 balls and Gay for 152 off 239.
Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Images. Ben Sears takes a fine diving catch at long-leg to help Matthew Revis remove Alex Lees. Captain Jonny Bairstow watches on.
Revis claimed two wickets in as many overs shortly before Jonny Bairstow opted to bring the new ball into play, but then White, Sears and Hill built on those early successes.
Revis had Lees caught at long-leg following a top-edged pull and Colin Ackermann caught behind for a duck, leaving the hosts at 303-3 in the 78th over.
Ollie Robinson was next to go. He was trapped lbw by White before Will Rhodes fell the same way to New Zealand international Sears – his first wicket in White Rose colours.
Sandwiched in between, Hill squared Gay up and rocked back his off-stump not long after the left-hander had reached his 150 off 235 balls.
The wickets continued to fall after lunch, with White uprooting Ben Raine’s off-stump and getting Brendan Doggett caught behind to finish the innings.
Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Images. Jack White impressed with three wickets at the Riverside today.
In between those two scalps, Thompson struck twice in the 104th over, getting Graham Clark caught at first slip for 33 and injured Paul Coughlin caught behind.
It will be of no surprise to Yorkshire supporters that Lyth went beyond 15,000 first-class runs with a lovely flowing cover drive off the bowling of Matthew Potts, for that has been the left-hander’s signature shot through a storied career which shows no sign of slowing.
He reached that mark upon getting to 15.
Unfortunately, he lost opening partner Fin Bean lbw to Raine’s seam not long afterwards as Yorkshire fell to 25-1.
After tea, James Wharton miscued a pull against England’s Potts out to deep square-leg, falling in similar fashion to how he did in the first innings.
Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Images. Adam Lyth en-route to another fifty.
The score was now 39-2 and a deficit of 81.
From there, Yorkshire’s progress via Lyth and Malan was watchful on a slow pitch.
Durham posted catchers in front of the wicket rather than packing the slips, and Lees rotated his depleted attack minus abdominal injury victim Coughlin.
Lyth reached 50 for the third time this season off 128 balls in the final hour of play but fell lbw to Raine – 114-3.
And then Potts bowled Malan through the gate, uprooting his off-stump, with only three more runs added.
Jonny Bairstow and Hill took Yorkshire into the lead in the final few overs and will resume tomorrow on 2 and 13 respectively.
