Anthony McGrath was the driving force behind Yorkshire's historic win at Grace Road on Saturday when they recorded their biggest ever fourth innings score to beat Leicestershire by six wickets and make it three consecutive Championship victories, writes David Warner.

The previous highest Yorkshire score to win a match was 331-7 against Middlesex at Lord's 95 years' ago but this was easily topped as they strolled to their 404 target, thanks to McGrath's sensational 165 not out.

It was an innings of epic proportions which prompted captain Craig White to say that not only was it the best he had ever seen McGrath play but it was also among the finest innings he had seen from any batsman.

From now on, McGrath will consider 13 to be his lucky number because he began his great knock on Friday the 13th and then went on to complete his 13th first-class century for Yorkshire.

He set out on the final day on 70 with Yorkshire 261-3 and requiring a further 143 and so completely did McGrath dominate the crease that he got them there with a few minutes of the two-hour morning session still to go.

McGrath hammered 20 fours and one five off the 218 balls he received and his splendid innings must have made team-mate and England captain Michael Vaughan wonder if his country's management had done the right thing last year in dropping McGrath.

Having put on 84 with Vaughan on Friday, it was crucial to Yorkshire's cause that McGrath and Ian Harvey could add considerably to their 77 stand and they did not disappoint, taking it to 133 in 36 overs before Harvey played Phil DeFreitas into his stumps for 47.

There was still work to be done but Yorkshire remained in total charge as McGrath and White saw them home with an 89 partnership in 18 overs and it was entirely appropriate that the winning boundary should come from McGrath who had played such a significant part in re-writing the record books.

"It was a fabulous game of cricket and my innings must be up there with the best I have ever played," said McGrath.

"To help Yorkshire score 400-plus for the first time to win a match and to make a big century myself has got to be one of the highlights of my career.

Last year at Derby, McGrath plundered 174 as Yorkshire chased 358 to win but after McGrath had got out they had to settle for the draw.

"We talked about that game before we started our innings and it was agreed that the key to success was to build up several good partnerships," said McGrath. "It worked really well with Matthew Wood and Phil Jaques giving us a 94 start and Michael Vaughan, Ian Harvey and Craig White all giving me excellent support after that.

"Strangely, I felt in my worst form of the season at the start of the innings."

Updated: 11:24 Monday, May 16, 2005