Rashid onslaught puts Tykes on top

9:34am Monday 23rd July 2007

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A career-best unbeaten 91 from Adil Rashid, followed by an early three wicket burst from Darren Gough, put Yorkshire on top in the rain-hit LV Championship match against Surrey at Headingley Carnegie.

Surrey rallied to close on 87-3 in reply to Yorkshire's first innings score of 307 but, with great chunks of play already lost to the weather, the game seems to be drifting towards a draw.

After only two overs had been possible on Saturday, Yorkshire started out on 212-8 on the third day and the tail wagged so efficiently that, against all expectations, they managed to pick up a second and third batting bonus point.

Fortunately for Yorkshire, Rashid was on 48 overnight and he batted superbly while keeping a cool head to reach 91, his previous highest score of 86 being achieved in the first match of the season against Surrey at The Oval.

Following director of cricket Martyn Moxon's criticism last week that Rashid was to miss three Championship matches because of an England Under-19s call-up, the ECB announced over the weekend that he had not been included in the squad after all and was free to play for his county.

No doubt Moxon got his knuckles rapped by England for making his comments before the team had been announced, but there is little doubt that it brought about a change of mind.

England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, explained: "Careful consideration was given to whether Adil Rashid should be included in the squad. It has been concluded that players in Adil's situation of having progressed to the next stage by representing the England Lions should not be pulled out of county cricket to play for England Under-19s."

It was Gough, however, who advanced Yorkshire's score in the early stages by striking consecutive deliveries from Rikki Clarke for four and six and mowing Harbhajan Singh over mix-wicket for a further six.

The stand was worth 49 in 11 overs when Gough was bowled by Neil Saker for 28 and last man Deon Kruis came in to belt Harbhajan for six and drive Saker for two fours.

Progress was so good 71 runs flowed from the first hour's play but a heavy burst of rain cut 33 overs off the day's ration and the game was unable to resume until 2.40pm.

Rashid was denied a richly deserved maiden century when Kruis was bowled by Nicholson for 20, the last wicket stand of 55 beating by one run the previous best for Yorkshire against Surrey set by Frank Smailes and Frank Wilkinson at The Oval in 1938.

It was not long before Gough had Surrey in disarray by having Scott Newman caught at first slip by Jacques Rudolph in his first over and in his next pinning Jon Batty lbw.

Jason Gillespie bowled well without luck at the Kirkstall Lane end and would have dismissed Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher in the space of three balls before either had scored if Rudolph had not dropped a straight forward chance from Butcher and Ramprakash seen an edge go between wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy and Rudolph.

Gough bowled a perfect outswinger to Butcher which he edged to Brophy in the over before tea when Surrey were struggling on 40-3.