YORKSHIRE turned the tables on Durham at Riverside yesterday and had the Championship Division Two leaders clinging on for a draw in a tense finish to an exciting match.

Chasing 245 to make it five consecutive wins from the start of the season, Durham were forced to shut up shop in the closing overs and they ended on 226-8 which left them 19 short of their target.

Yorkshire also remain unbeaten in the Championship but they are now only half-a-point ahead of Worcestershire who beat Essex, Yorkshire's opponents at Headingley tomorrow.

A torrential downpour early in the afternoon - the fourth stoppage of the day - looked certain to condemn the match to an early watery grave with Durham on 105-2.

But the sun suddenly came out and the clouds rolled back in time for the game to re-start at 4.10pm when 32 overs remained and Durham were clear favourites to score the 140 they still required.

Durham's Australian captain, Mike Hussey, and Gordon Muchall, moved their third wicket stand on to 79 before Deon Kruis gave Yorkshire hope by having Hussey taken at first slip by Phil Jaques for 61, the South African paceman having started the day in tremendous style by dismissing Jon Lewis and Paul Collingwood in his opening over.

Ian Harvey gave Kruis excellent support and his accuracy was rewarded when he plucked out Muchall's middle stump with one which kept low.

Tim Bresnan replaced Harvey with Durham needing a very gettable 81 from 14 overs and he soon had Nicky Peng caught by Matthew Wood who completed the catch at the second attempt at slip.

Durham sent in the free-scoring Phil Mustard who cracked his first two deliveries to the boundary but he then tapped Kruis gently to Craig White at short mid-on to make it 177-6.

Gareth Breese and Liam Plunkett whittled it down to 207-6 with seven overs remaining when Dale Benkenstein pushed Chris Silverwood towards cover point and Richard Dawson with only one stump to aim at scored a direct hit to run out Plunkett.

Durham certainly fancied their chances as 26 were wanted from four overs but Plunkett fell lbw to Harvey and the home side started to block off although Yorkshire almost broke through again when Jaques appeared to drop a very sharp chance at second slip by Mark Davies off Harvey.

Kruis deservedly finished as Yorkshire's most successful bowler with 4-96 from 30 overs and in the end a draw was just about a fair result to what had been an entertaining match with several fluctuations.

Updated: 10:38 Tuesday, May 24, 2005