A sparkling double century by skipper Darren Lehmann against Sussex at Arundel led Yorkshire out of a crisis and into a potentially match-winning situation going into the last day of the Championship match today.

When he was dismissed three overs before close of play last night he had plundered 216 out of 350 for four and Yorkshire had turned a first innings deficit of 137 into a lead of 213, which they extended to 220 without further loss.

It was Lehmann's third double century for Yorkshire and his eighth in all. His six hour bonanza was laced with 25 fours and a six and came off 302 balls.

But Lehmann's epic knock - the biggest ever seen on the ground - would never have happened if Yorkshire-born Mark Robinson had not overstepped the crease and sent down a no-ball which Lehmann chopped into his leg-stump when only 17.

Apart from that fortunate moment the Australian did not err again until he was 125, when he cut hard at Kevin Innes and Tim Ambrose dropped a fast edge to second slip.

Lehmann got sterling support at the other end from fellow left-hander Michael Lumb, who shrugged off recent bad form with a faultless 89 not out which contained ten firmly struck struck fours.

Their stand of 238 was the 11th highest in Yorkshire's history for the fourth wicket and the best since David Byas and Anthony McGrath put on 272 against Hampshire at Harrogate in 1996.

The day had begun badly as Craig White fell lbw to the fourth ball from Billy Taylor.

Only 14 had been made when Matthew Wood flashed carelessly outside off-stump at Robin Martin-Jenkins and was caught behind. Wood has made only 102 runs in 11 Championship innings. His place in the side must be under threat from Scott Richardson or Chris Taylor.

Cricket scoreboard

Frizzell County Championship

(today is last day of four)

Division One

Sussex v Yorkshire

(at Arundel)

Yorkshire first innings: 255 (Lehmann 71)

Sussex first innings: 392 (Prior 85, Montgomerie 78, Davis 70no, White 4-94)

Yorkshire second innings

White lbw b Taylor 0

Wood c Prior b Martin-Jenkins 9

McGrath c Montgomerie b Davis 33

Lehmann lbw b Taylor 216

Lumb not out 89

Gray not out 0

Extras lb4 nb6 10

Total 4 wkts (104 overs) 357

Fall: 1-0 2-14 3-112 4-350

Lancashire v Kent

Liverpool: Lancashire 226 (Law 75, Driver 56, Khan 5-74) & 347 (Swann 85, Martin 80no, Chilton 60, Chapple 55), Kent 214 (Martin 5-54) and 174-2 (Fulton 82no, Kay 78).

Warwickshire v Somerset

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 230 (Jones 4-46) & 423 (Ostler 175, Troughton 52, Wagg 51, Jones 6-110), Somerset 208 (Bowler 57, Wagg 4-43) & 248-6 (Blackwell 64, Burns 54).

Division Two

Glamorgan v Middlesex

Cardiff: Middlesex 633-7 dec (Razzaq 203, Strauss 141, Joyce 129, Shah 62, Croft 4-151), Glamorgan 235 (Maynard 66, Tufnell 6-96) & 301-5 (Jones 118).

Gloucestershire v Essex

Gloucester: Gloucestershire 383 (Barnett 106, Alleyne 87, Ball 63, Harvey 56, Cowan 5-68) & 245 (Russell 74no, Fisher 74no), Essex 325 (Habib 66, Cowan 60no, Stephenson 57, Harvey 5-64).

Northamptonshire v Nottinghamshire

Northampton: Nottinghamshire 489 (Read 127, Gallian 100) & 169-8 (Johnson 70), Northamptonshire 420 (Sales 179, Loye 105, Logan 4-64).

Updated: 11:28 Saturday, June 29, 2002