Yorkshire were forced to settle for a draw after a wet ground caused play to be held up until half-an-hour into the afternoon session on the final day of their match against Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence at Bradford Park Avenue yesterday.

Declaring at their overnight 140-2 with an overall lead of 308, Yorkshire left themselves with a maximum of two-and-a-half hours plus 20 overs in which to try to bowl their opponents out.

But the students made sure that the honours were evenly shared by reaching 113-4 in 53 overs and Yorkshire did not bother claiming the extra half-hour.

Missing two batsmen because of hand injuries, Bradford-Leeds could have struggled if they had lost early wickets but Gharib Nawaz and Simon Webb made sure that did not happen with an opening stand of 61 before both fell in consecutive overs from Pieter Swanepoel and Andy Gray.

Gray bowled better and posed more problems than fellow off-spinner Richard Dawson but it was Vic Craven who caught the eye with ten overs of brisk medium pace from the pavilion end.

Craven, who can count himself unlucky to have had only limited opportunities this season, got Jamie Kennaway caught behind and later had Chris Elstub edging a catch to Gavin Hamilton at first slip.

Bradford-Leeds captain, Ismail Dawood, a century-maker in the first innings, was in the same solid form as he played out 24 overs to make sure his side did not end up as losers.

Although the home attack was lightweight, apart from Elstub and leg-spinner Mark Bagley, the team could take much credit from what was their best performance yet against first class opposition.

Updated: 11:09 Saturday, June 07, 2003