Gray and Blakey sustain survival ambitions

Yorkshire 276 and 347-8 dec Leicestershire 279 and 6-1

Champions have to slog it out occasionally, forgetting polish and pride to rely on strength and tenacity. After 30 overs yesterday morning, with the sky threatening rain, Yorkshire were 198 for 8 and in danger of a defeat that would virtually end their already-desperately thin hope of avoiding relegation from the First Division of the County Championship.

Vince Wells, Leicestershire's captain, bowling gentle medium pace with a wicked curve had taken 3 for 8 in 24 balls after Javagal Srinath had removed Craig White, Yorkshire's last experienced top-order bats- man, with the second ball of the morning. When Richard Dawson became Wells' third victim, the acting captain, Richard Blakey, was left looking like an abandoned Custer on the Little Big Horn.

This time the rest of the Seventh Cavalry did turn up in the shape of Andy Gray, chosen for his off-spin, but virtually ignored in the first innings, and then hailed at tea-time, with a career-best 70 not out, as the match-saver.

The ninth-wicket pair began sketchily, continued carefully and then grew in confidence as Leicestershire, calling on the left-arm spinner Richard Stemp for only the mandatory pre-lunch over, cast around for a stand-breaking formula.

The ball was 60 overs old, giving no extra bounce to the ageing seam attack while the pitch seemed impervious to pace. Blakey and Gray had added another 29 runs in the six overs to lunch and returned with Gray attacking with gusto, driving and sweeping. Blakey, more circumspect, occasionally drove with the execution that reminded some of the 3,000 crowd of the batting protégé who appeared in 1985. This may be his last year with the county and many will regret he ever took up the wicketkeeping gloves.

By 2.30 Leicestershire had been thrown on the defensive, with Darren Maddy bowling to one slip with three men on the boundary. Gray romped past his previous-best 40 in each innings at Arundel against Sussex at the end of June and Leicestershire grasped the new ball as soon as it was available without result.

When rain stopped play in mid-afternoon the stand was worth 138, Yorkshire's best for the wicket against Leicestershire. In distant view was the county record, 192 against Surrey at Bradford in 1898.

When play resumed, Blakey declared after one over, leaving Leicestershire 345 to win with four overs remaining last night, during which they lost Trevor Ward, lbw to a Steve Kirby express. Leicestershire were unhappy at the sight of Blakey's spiked boots roughing up the surface. Clearly, he is a captain on a learning curve.