Cricket: Byas leads Yorkshire out of the gloom: Glamorgan fall foul of Evans while Nottinghamshire cruise home

WITH the top five taking an enforced break, Warwickshire and Worcestershire being otherwise detained at Lord's, it was an incomplete Sunday programme and Yorkshire took advantage to close the gap and increase their chances of earning some always welcome extra brass, writes Richard Wetherell.

Once more it was David Byas who took them to victory. During his unbeaten 87 he passed 600 runs for the season and guided Yorkshire to a four-wicket win with 10 balls remaining over Derbyshire. They started their reply to Derbyshire's 160 somewhat gloomily and off 19 overs they were struggling at 56 for 4. Byas then shared a half- century stand with Ashley Metcalfe to effectively settle the contest.

Glamorgan fell foul of Kevin Evans at Trent Bridge. His hat-trick victims - Roland Lefebvre, Colin Metson and Steve Watkin - may not be the most prestigious around but it did ensure Glamorgan only reached 178 for 9 after being 116 for 1.

When Nottinghamshire's target was reduced by rain to 138 off 31 overs they cruised to success with two overs left.

Nigel Briers, restored to Leicestershire's Sunday team, was perhaps determined to show that selection policy was misguided. Not content with the day's only century, 105, he took four catches in Gloucestershire's rain-affected reply.

He was not the only Leicestershire man to have an good all-round day. Vince Wells hit a rapid 65 not out in their 256 for 4 and took 4 for 46. The home side were set a reduced target off 225 off 35 overs but were dismissed for 155.

Essex lifted themselves off the bottom of the table at Gloucestershire's expense with a 33-run win over Sussex. Nasser Hussain hit 76 off 91 balls, surprisingly his highest in the Sunday League, and John Stephenson was even quicker with 68 off 75 deliveries. The pair added 116 in just 17 overs for the fifth wicket.

Sussex were never in the hunt with only Martin Speight providing any real impetus with 66 off 69 balls.

Rob Bailey and Richard Montgomerie guided Northamptonshire to a seven- wicket victory at Taunton with four balls to spare. Bailey's unbeaten 94 came off 99 balls while Montgomerie contributed a Sunday-best 74.

South Africa lost by nine- wickets to The Netherlands in the one-day international at The Hague yesterday. They scored a disappointing 138 for 8 and the 43-year-old West Indian Nolan Clarke made short work of that target with 78.