Round-up

Kirtley leaves Yorkshire in freefall

It is almost as if Yorkshire's first Championship title for 33 years never happened. Once again there is consternation in the Broad Acres as a fifth defeat in six games left them at the bottom of Division One.

Following on requiring 219 to make Sussex bat again at Headingley, the Tykes collap-sed to 125 all out. James Kirtley claimed 5 for 41 to give him 10 for 90 over two days, Sussex recording their first win of the season. Kirtley seemed to have slipped out of the international reckoning since he was reported for "throwing" after his debut in the one-day series in Zimbabwe in October. He had to remodel his action which, he says, has given him steeper bounce. The 27-year-old may be called up for the NatWest Series as part of England's World Cup plans.

England took Richard Johnson to India before Christmas, but the Somerset seamer has been ignored since then, with all the hype about the Welsh fast bowler Simon Jones and a recall for National Academy graduate Alex Tudor. Johnsonprovided a sharp reminder by taking 7 for 43, and 10 for 75 in the match, as Hampshire were shot out for 98 at Bath.

Resuming on a parlous 3 for 4, the visitors slipped to 16 for 6, but Robin Smith dug in for 41 not out in spite of his bad back. Somerset, set 190 to win, could only draw on 173 for 8.

If Yorkshire's reversal of fortune was not strange enough, last year's wooden spoonists, Derbyshire, completed a fifth win in six games against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to stay on top of Division Two. The home side were all out for 175 with yet another England pace discard, Dominic Cork, returning 6 for 78. Chris Bassano hit 79 to see Cork's revivalists home on 181 for 6.

But Essex kept up with the pace, beating Northamptonshire by nine wickets at Ilford.