Cricket: Season's best for Gough

An explosive burst by Darren Gough carried Yorkshire to a two- day Championship victory by an innings and six runs over Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.

In an inspired spell of 21 balls, the England seamer claimed 4 for 6 as the visitors, comfortable on 83 for 2, lost five wickets for 14 and their last eight for a paltry 34.

Gough finished with a season's best 6 for 36, and his match return of 9 for 62 was his best since 1993 when he claimed 10 Somerset wickets for 96 at Taunton. Once Gough hit his most effective rhythm in his second spell, he tore through the Nottinghamshire order, taking all his wickets for 18 runs in 9.3 overs.

Only the openers Paul Pollard and Tim Robinson, who for the second time shared in the highest stand of the innings, suggested any prolonged resistance as Nottinghamshire faced a deficit of 123. Their partnership produced 53 but after Robinson was out lbw to Craig White, the Midlanders lost heart.

Earlier, half-centuries by David Byas and Anthony McGrath, who reached that landmark for the first time in 10 innings, enabled Yorkshire to control the contest despite Chris Cairns returning his best figures of the season of 6 for 110.

Mal Loye and Kevin Curran spearheaded one of Northamptonshire's most convincing performances of the season to earn them a first-innings lead over Lancashire at Northampton.

Loye, who has been overlooked for international recognition since touring South Africa with England A three winters ago, hammered 15 fours in a fluent 90 off 119 balls. Curran then weighed in with an undefeated 85 as Northampton- shire closed on 357 for 5 in reply to the visitors' 356 all out.

Five successive half-century partnerships boosted Rob Bailey's team with the openers Loye and Russell Warren (31) setting the tone during a 73-run stand occupying 18 overs.