Yorkshire ended an exciting day of fluctuating fortunes at Worcester yesterday with the only certainty being that one of the two rivals was set to chalk up a Championship victory early in today's resumption.

When play drew to a close among lengthening shadows, Yorkshire were intriguingly placed on 222-6 with a further 46 required to complete their chase of 268.

Richard Dawson was unbeaten on 20 and Ismail Dawood on 2, but before the seventh-wicket pair came together at 198-6, Yorkshire had seen several potential heroes fall when just short of success.

Anthony McGrath defied hostile bowling early on to make 41 before being undone by a brute of a ball from Kabir Ali; Phil Jaques hit a gallant 67; and captain Craig White defied a painful knee to make a crucial 27 after coming in on a hat-trick.

White did not field in the Worcestershire second innings because of the blow he had received earlier in the game but he batted in his normal spot without the assistance of a runner.

As on Saturday, play went on late because Worcestershire bowled their overs so slowly. At the moment they are four overs behind the required rate and could find themselves having points docked.

Starting their chase 40 minutes after lunch, Yorkshire made an unpromising start as an edgy Matthew Wood nicked Kabir Ali to Graeme Hick at second slip but the unflappable Joe Sayers and McGrath eased the score to 67 before Sayers' gritty innings of 24 was ended by Matt Mason.

A further 48 were added by McGrath and Jaques but it became 115-3 as McGrath could not avoid a lifter from Kabir Ali which flew through to wicket-keeper James Pipe.

Richard Pyrah, who made a career-best 78 in the first innings, fell lbw to his first ball and in came White to save the hat-trick. His stand of 79 with Jaques looked to be putting Yorkshire in charge but two wickets in two overs swung the pendulum again, Jaques being bowled sweeping at Gareth Batty and White cutting Ali to Pipe.

Yorkshire were 198-6 but there was to be no surrender and Richard Dawson came in to dish out some punishment to a tiring attack and leave the match nicely balanced.

Worcestershire just had the edge when they resumed on 58-2, leading by 103, but it was a different game at lunch after their main batting had been swept aside and their score taken to 173-8.

Tim Bresnan, who had got rid of Graeme Hick the previous evening, soon had Stephen Moore caught behind and in his next over Ben Smith edged him to Jaques.

Pipe, having batted sensibly in his nightwatchman's role, suffered a rush of blood as he pulled Deon Kruis over mid-wicket to be caught by McGrath, who found the edge of Daryl Mitchell's bat in the next over for Jaques to hold on to another slip catch.

Another fighting innings from Batty came to Worcestershire's rescue once again, but, after adding 55 with Zander de Bruyn, he could not avoid a spiteful delivery from Matthew Hoggard.

Yorkshire's last success of the morning came when a ball from Kruis stopped on de Bruyn, but Kabir Ali and Mason hit out after the interval, adding 54 in ten overs.

Worcestershire were suddenly sent packing by Bresnan, who bowled Mason and Nadeem Malik in the space of three balls to finish with career-best figures of 5-42, the first time the 20-year-old has captured five wickets in an innings.

Updated: 10:57 Tuesday, July 12, 2005