Yorkshire revel in victory over Roses rivals

Yorkshire crushed Lancashire by seven wickets in the Roses battle at Headingley to preserve their 14-point lead at the top of Division One of the CricInfo Championship.

Set a victory target of 157 in 78 overs, Yorkshire needed only 33.5 overs in which to score their runs and take a maximum 20 points from the match.

Openers Matthew Wood and Craig White wasted no time in getting Yorkshire off to a cracking start, putting on 55 before White was bowled by left-arm spinner Gary Keedy with the second delivery after lunch.

Wood went on to make 51 with ten fours off only 74 balls but this was slow compared with the onslaught that followed from Darren Lehmann.

The Australian, who made a Roses record score of 252 in the first innings, plundered 48 from just 24 balls with seven fours and two sixes, both the big hits coming off Keedy.

Lehmann gave a sharp chance to Mark Chilton at short leg before he had scored - a firm clip at Keedy hitting the fielder on the shoulder - but he again made batting look a simple operation and when he moved on to ten it gave him 1,000 Championship runs for the season.

Keedy dismissed both Wood and Lehmann, who was clean bowled having a big swing, but he suffered when skipper David Byas blasted him for 14 runs in an over to end the match.

Lancashire had set out on the final morning on 280 for eight with a lead of 122 and the ninth-wicket pair of Peter Martin and John Wood took their stand to 68 in 18 overs before Wood was run out for 35 by Gary Fellows' direct hit from cover as the batsmen failed to complete a quick single.

Martin reached his 50 off 79 balls with six fours but soon afterwards White had Keedy caught behind with the score on 314.

Byas said afterwards: "This ranks as one of the most satisfying wins in a long time because Lancashire are a good side and for us to make 531 after they had reached 373 in the first innings was an excellent effort.

"Darren Lehmann's contribution was absolutely magnificent and stands head and shoulders above everything else but Matthew Wood batted beautifully in both innings and Darren Gough's 96 was also a fantastic knock.

"We have not talked about winning the Championship yet but with a game in hand it is in our own hands and if we can beat Surrey in the next match starting at Headingley on Wednesday it will be a step nearer."