Yorkshire pay the price for carelessness

Yorkshire 340 and 123-8 Gloucestershire 276

Another startling batting collapse by Yorkshire meant they lost the initiative at Middlesbrough yesterday. This time they lost five wickets for eight runs late on as Gloucestershire fought back for the second time in the day.

Once David Byas and Michael Bevan, century-makers in the first-innings departed it was all down to the depths of 94 for 7 after being 86 for 3.

In their Championship match against Warwickshire last week they were bowled out for 96 and in their second-innings 185 lost their last seven wickets six runs.

In the following Sunday League game, also against Warwickshire, they were dismissed for 56 after being 36 without loss.

Yesterday's failures leave them 187 ahead with just two wickets standing. One of those may well be Mark Robinson, who scored a career-best 23 in the first-innings, but the bowling successes of the early morning have long been forgotten.

Monte Lynch - until he was injured - and Jack Russell, with his highest score of the season, kept Gloucestershire in contention, even though the possibility of following on was only avoided with eight wickets down.

Yorkshire did not enjoy one of their better days with the ball either, not least Darren Gough, whose lack of rhythm suggested he must have been suffering from the fashionable post-Test match syndrome, but nevertheless still managed to pick up wickets at encouraging intervals.

With a minimum of footwork, but showing the full face of the bat and using power and timing, Lynch made all but six of his half-century in boundaries. He was then restricted by an attack of cramp in his forearms and was persuaded to retire at a time when he and Russell were picking up four runs an over.

Robinson took two wickets in two overs and Lynch was obliged to return with six still needed to make Yorkshire bat again. He survived only five balls.

Russell then took over and was largely responsible for 88 being accumulated for the last two wickets.