Stubborn resistance from Surrey's lower order caused Yorkshire to lose their way at Headingley yesterday after reducing the County Champions to 127 for six during a frenzied morning session.

Surrey recovered in the afternoon to 278 and Yorkshire by the close had reached 61 for two, Anthony McGrath having survived a chance in the slips.

Although the sides were short of eight of their leading players because of England calls the cricket could not have been more exciting after Surrey had won the toss and started their innings at a breakneck pace.

Steven Kirby, who ended up as Yorkshire's most outstanding bowler with four for 90, was hit for 19 off three overs with the new ball by Jon Batty and Michael Carberry before Gavin Hamilton came on and had Carberry caught in the slips at the second attempt by Wood.

Then Kirby, brought back at the football end, dismissed Batty whose edge to McGrath at third slip looped off the fielder's hands and was smartly pouched by David Byas at first slip.

At 47 for two, it was expected that Nadeem Shahid and captain Adam Hollioake would try to steady things down but they lashed out at the bowling as if they were in the closing overs of a coloured clothing game.

Hollioake rapidly accumulated seven fours, five off Hamilton and two off Kirby, as Surrey raced into three figures, but after adding another boundary he edged a drive at Kirby into his pad and the ball flew to Byas to send him back for 33 off just 23 deliveries.

Still there was no let-up in the drama as Shahid fell lbw to Kirby for 25, the bowler's figures at this stage being a remarkable three for 54 off only 8.2 overs.

Alistair Brown, playing with a broken finger, lost his off-stump to Gary Fellows, and when Gary Butcher was caught behind off Ryan Sidebottom's third ball of a new spell Surrey were rocking at 127 for six.

A seventh wicket would have gone down at 150 if Byas had held a chest high chance from Martin Bicknell and it proved to be an expensive miss because the batsman settled in to assist Surrey's recovery after Ben Hollioake had been comprehensively bowled by Sidebottom.

With Bicknell and Salisbury becoming entrenched, Yorkshire called up Kirby again and he responded by getting Bicknell caught off a leading edge by Fellows at cover point.

Saqlain Mushtaq proved to be just as stubborn and he and Salisbury further loosened Yorkshire's grip by putting on 72 in 25 overs for the ninth wicket, Salisbury completing a fine half-century before gloving off-spinner Richard Dawson to the wicketkeeper.

It came as something of a relief to Yorkshire when Saqlain sliced a drive at Hamilton and was caught by Sidebottom at third man to wrap up the innings.

Farsley batsman, Chris Taylor, marked his Yorkshire debut by taking a single off the first ball from Bicknell, but both he and Matthew Wood were given a difficult time by Ed Giddins who went on to claim their wickets, Wood guiding a catch to Adam Hollioake at first slip and Taylor edging a loose drive to Salisbury in the gully.

Bicknell would have struck again in the same over in which he dismissed Taylor if Shahid had clung on to a diving attempt at fourth slip from McGrath who gratefully made good his escape and survived until the close, partnered by Darren Lehmann who looked to gearing himself for another big innings.

Updated: 09:00 Thursday, August 02, 2001