YORKSHIRE were clinging to the hope today that they could resolve their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy semi-final clash with Surrey at Headingley by holding a ten-overs-a-side match.

But a net had also been erected in the indoor school so that a bowl-out can take place if there was no improvement at all in the grim conditions.

The prize for the winners of the match or bowl out is a Lord's final against Somerset on August 31.

Both Yorkshire coach Wayne Clark and his oppositive number, Keith Medlycott, indicated that they would much prefer a ten-overs slog to a bowl-out if at all possible, even if it meant playing the game in poor light.

Medlycott did ask Clark yesterday if Yorkshire would be prepared to take the game to another venue and the suggestion was put to the players but they sensibly rejected the idea.

With most of the county under water, the game would have had to be moved down South with no time at all to find a venue or to make hotel reservations.

Yorkshire have discussed who their five bowlers might be in a bowl out and the leading candidates to send down two deliveries each at a single set of stumps are Craig White, Matthew Hoggard, Anthony McGrath, Michael Vaughan and Darren Lehmann.

Four previous bowl-outs have taken place in the two main knockout competitions and in 1983 Middlesex beat Gloucestershire on the toss of a coin in the quarter-finals of the Benson and Hedges Cup.

The bowl-out was first seen at Harrogate in 1985 when the final of the Tilcon Trophy between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire was determined by bowling at a single stump and in the same competition the following year Yorkshire lost their semi-final match with Warwickshire in similar circumstances.

Somerset booked their place at Lord's with a thrilling victory over Kent at Taunton yesterday.

They made 344-5 with Kent falling just short as they were bowled out for 339 in the final over.

Updated: 15:07 Friday, August 02, 2002