Yorkshire recovered magnificently from a disastrous first hour at Headingley yesterday but then allowed Somerset to regain the upper hand by close of play when they stood on 101 for one in their second innings with an overall lead of 127.
Things could hardly have gone worse at the start of a sunny day when England stalwart Andy Caddick bowled Simon Widdup and Anthony McGrath with his first two deliveries and in his next over rapped Darren Lehmann so painfully on the right hand that the Australian had to retire hurt.
Lehmann went to hospital for an X-ray that showed nothing worse than a bruised index finger and he later returned to play a real gem of an innings which was all too short from Yorkshire's point of view.
Before that, Caddick continued to plague Yorkshire who dipped to 16 for three when he found the edge of David Byas's defensive bat for wicketkeeper Rob Turner to take the catch.
Steffan Jones, having created problems of his own from the Kirkstall Lane end, dealt a further blow by trapping Craig White lbw - and Yorkshire were 35 for four and with Lehmann on his way to hospital with the clock still to strike noon.
But they were suddenly transformed by an exhilarating stand of 125 in 37 overs between Michael Vaughan, showing all his England skills, and Gary Fellows who bravely went for his shots from the start and equalled Vaughan with the quality of some of his strokeplay.
Quiet by nature, Fellows is fearless at the crease and his adventurous approach helped him to prosper while Vaughan seemed undismayed by all that had previously happened.
Vaughan went to his half century shortly before lunch and Fellows achieved his maiden 50 soon afterwards but having advanced to 63 off 119 balls with eight fours he fell lbw to Graham Rose.
Lehmann reappeared to take a heavy toll of Rose and had plundered eight boundaries in his 38 from 37 balls when he drilled Caddick to square leg and Yorkshire's hopes of gaining a first innings lead began to disappear.
Richard Blakey was lbw to Jason Kerr without scoring and Vaughan's 65-over vigil was ended by a fierce drive at the tireless Caddick which was well caught low down at cover point by Burns. Vaughan had received 180 balls and stroked a dozen fours and when the innings was wrapped up Caddick walked off with five for 81.
Piran Holloway and Marcus Trescothick began Somerset's second innings at a rush after tea but there was an early escape for Trescothick when he hooked at Chris Silverwood and the ball appeared to drop out of Ryan Sidebottom's hands at long leg upon making hard contact with the ground.
The 50 stand between the openers contained ten boundaries and it took Lehmann's left arm spin to part the pair at 63, Trescothick driving back his second return catch of the match.
Trescothick was soon on the field again, this time as runner for the limping Holloway who reached an attacking half-century with ten boundries and was still there at the close with 58.
Updated: 12:38 Friday, May 11, 2001
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