Kettleborough the hero in inspired win

Yorkshire 290 and 329 Essex 372 and 149 Yorkshire win by 98 runs

The Happy Hour here yesterday lasted from 11 until noon. Wickets were going cheap, as they were always likely to on this pitch, and Yorkshire had no problems in capturing the five they needed to pull off one of the most remarkable wins in even their illustrious history.

Richard Stemp took four of them, to emerge with 5 for 38, his best figures of the season; but, unusually in these circumstances, it was a batsman, the left-hander Richard Kettleborough, who led Yorkshire in with much back-slapping and fulsome congratulations from his colleagues.

Two days earlier it was Kettleborough's maiden century, an innings of 108 spread over five hours, 20 minutes on a deteriorating pitch, that had turned this splendid game round and spared Yorkshire a defeat that would have been humiliating because of their inept performance with the ball.

With five wickets down, Yorkshire were only nine ahead. The ball was turning lavishly at varying heights. In only his seventh championship game and with his previous highest score no more than 55, Kettleborough had to cope with off-spinner Peter Such bowling into the bowlers' foot marks to a cluster of close fielders.

Batting with soft, relaxed hands, and great selectivity for a 23-year- old, he played so well that he did not give a chance while facing 288 balls.

Essex needed 248 to win. Psychologically they must have been down having been so well placed. On this pitch it was always a remote prospect, but not out of the question if batsmen of the calibre of Graham Gooch and Nasser Hussain got a start. But Gooch received a beauty from Craig White and Hussain got himself out.

Marks there, perhaps, for the Yorkshire captain David Byas, who had seen Hussain chance his arm against the off spin of Michael Vaughan earlier. All Yorkshire needed now was a break from the weather, which had robbed them in last week's Roses match.

They were spared and everything went their way from the moment Stemp pitched his first ball accurately. It turned and bounced and Such, the night watchman, was caught at slip via Blakey's glove.