YORKSHIRE this afternoon won their first County Championship cricket crown for 33 years.
They beat Glamorgan by an innings and 112 runs to bag the maximum points they needed to take the title.
Pace bowler Steven Kirby snapped up two early wickets as Glamorgan resumed on 142 for 6 at Scarborough - still 215 runs short of making champions-elect Yorkshire bat again.
Thousands of fans took advantage of free admission to North Marine Road to see their heroes take another step towards glory.
They were not disappointed early on as in the second over of the day when Andrew Davies sparred at a Kirby delivery which was short of a length and got an outside edge to go caught behind.
Kirby, rapidly developing into a cult figue with White Rose fans, struck again when Dean Cosker was caught by skipper David Byas to make the score 168 for 8.
Steve Watkin was next out, caught behind by Blakey off Darren Lehmann as the Tykes tightened their noose around the Welsh county.
But last man Simon Jones smashed Lehmann for four sixes and a four in one over as Glamorgan moved to 223 for 9.
Jones continued his assault racing to 46 off 14 balls in just 15 minutes.
Fittingly the end came when he was caught by Byas, playing on his home ground, off Lehmann and Glamoran were all out for 245.
The only possible obstacle in Yorkshire's way of taking the crown off Surrey today was the weather which was overcast and there was the odd spot of rain in the air when play began.
Yorkshire chief executive Chris Hassell announced today that the Lord's Taverners' Trophy for the champion county would be presented to Yorkshire at Scarborough on Wednesday, September 12, the first day of the last Championship match of the season against Essex.
Glamorgan first innings: 223 (R Dawson 6-82).
Yorkshire first innings: 580-9 dec (C White 183, M Wood 124, D Byas 104).
Glamorgan 2nd inns cont: Dale not out 45, A P Davies c Blakey b Kirby 7, Cosker c Byas b Kirby, Watkin c Blakey b Lehmann 6, S Jones c Byas b Lehmann 46. Extras 34. Total 245 (80 overs)
Updated: 12:25 Friday, August 24, 2001
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