ENGLAND bowlers Darren Gough and Craig White struck within the space of four balls of each other at Headingley yesterday to spark a remarkable collapse by Somerset on the first day of the Cricinfo Championship match.

They lost their last six wickets for 32 runs in 15 overs as they slumped to 257 all out and Yorkshire safely negotiated three overs to the close when they were two without loss, Simon Widdup having faced all 18 deliveries while Michael Vaughan looked on from the other end.

Mark Lathwell and Rob Turner had revived Somerset with a patient fifth wicket stand of 111 in 46 overs and Yorkshire were just beginning to wonder if the breakthrough would ever come when both got out with the score unchanged on 225.

First to go was Lathwell who had played an unusually dour innings for a hard earned 65 before one careless moment cost him dear. He drove loosely without using his feet at a ball from White which was drifting away and gave a catch to Richard Blakey.

Lathwell had struck nine fours off 153 balls in his two-and-threequarter hour partnership with Turner who departed to the first ball of Gough's next over, edging a catch to David Byas at second slip.

Keith Dutch then fell lbw to a slower ball from Silverwood, Graham Rose and Andy Caddick were both run out and Chris Silverwood rounded things off by getting Steffan Jones caught at third slip by Anthony McGrath.

Putting Somerset in to bat, Yorkshire made poor use of the new ball with Silverwood looking particularly uncomfortable from the Football End but Yorkshire soon achieved their main objective once Ryan Sidebottom joined the attack.

Marcus Trescothick has already made four centuries this season but his stay at the crease this time lasted only ten overs for 12 runs because a ball from Sidebottom stood up on him and he drove back a gentle catch to the bowler.

Somerset's other left-handed opener, Piran Holloway, batted soundly until he jabbed down on Silverwood and edged to Blakey, but it was soon after lunch that Yorkshire dealt a couple of real hammer blows with the dismissals of Michael Burns and Jamie Cox in consecutive overs.

Burns, badly dropped by McGrath at slip before lunch, was magnificently caught at full stretch by Byas at second slip off Sidebottom and Cox played Gough into his leg stump soon after thumping him for three off-side fours in one over. Lathwell and Turner made sure Yorkshire had to wait a long time for their next success but when it came the floodgates were opened.

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Updated: 12:59 Thursday, May 10, 2001