RICHARD Dawson spun Yorkshire ever closer to the CricInfo Championship title at the Scarborough Cricket Festival yesterday by picking up career-best figures of six for 82 against Glamorgan.

The 21-year-old's splendid haul helped to bowl out Glamorgan for only 223 and keep Yorkshire well on track for collecting the maximum 20 points they need from this match to take the crown.

In Yorkshire's last home game against Surrey at Headingley, Dawson captured 6 for 98 and has now bagged 27 wickets in his first seven Championship appearances.

Yorkshire suffered an upset late in the day when Matthew Wood had to retire hurt after being struck on the left side of the face by Simon Jones but they managed to close on 33 without loss and their aim now is to score 400-plus so that they rake in all five batting bonus points.

The grille on Wood's helmet went into his cheek below the eye and he was taken to hospital for stitches to be inserted into the gash.

Although Glamorgan got off to a promising start they never looked like causing Yorkshire many problems once Dawson joined the attack but they would have been dismissed more cheaply still had two simple catches not gone begging.

Wood dropped Ian Thomas at second slip off Steven Kirby without a run having been scored and captain David Byas was the culprit when Mark Wallace, also waiting to get off the mark, edged Ryan Sidebottom to first slip.

The misses were costly because Thomas went on to help Jimmy Maher put on 48 for the first wicket while Wallace added 72 in 28 overs with Adrian Dale, Glamorgan's top-scorer with 59. But Dawson was thrown the ball with just 15 overs gone and Yorkshire never looked back from that point.

Maher was bowled round his legs sweeping at Dawson's third delivery which turned substantially. He later bowled Michael Powell and then trapped Thomas lbw to leave Glamorgan 89 for 3 at lunch.

Sidebottom bowled a magnificent seven over spell in the afternoon, beating the bat time and again, Keith Newell eventually nicking one to Richard Blakey.

Dawson had Wallace caught by Byas and plunged Glamorgan deeper into trouble by removing Darren Thomas and Andrew Davies.

Adrian Dale deflected a wide ball from White to Byas and it was left to Sidebottom, who had bowled superbly in his second and third spells, to wrap up the innings. Both Dean Cosker and Simon Jones edged to Wood at second slip, his catch to dismiss Jones being a stunning one-handed effort, high and wide to his left.

White and Wood both made excellent progress and remained untroubled until Wood took his eye off Simon Jones' bouncer and left the field with blood streaming down his face, Kirby coming in as nightwatchman to survive until the close.

Updated: 11:47 Wednesday, August 22, 2001