YORKSHIRE are poised to hit the top of the Championship table again after going on the rampage against Durham at Chester-le-Street yesterday and they should take 17 points from the match at some stage today, unless rain intervenes.

Although Yorkshire had to work hard for their first innings lead of 105, Durham then slumped to 35 for four in the face of some fierce bowling from Darren Gough and Gavin Hamilton and they were relieved to close on 94 for five.

There was a moment to celebrate for Gough when he dismissed opener Jon Lewis to pick up his 600th victim in first class cricket, 373 of them for Yorkshire.

The day's only two real disappointments were that neither Michael Vaughan nor Darren Lehmann could go on to complete their centuries after doing the bulk of the work in taking their side's final score to 294.

Vaughan was bowled for 94 to bring a maiden wicket for Ian Hunter who later had Lehmann caught behind for 79 as the paceman captured the last three wickets in a five-ball burst.

Starting the second day on 52, Vaughan moved Yorkshire off their overnight 105 for one with a salvo of three boundaries in Steve Harmison's first over but he lost Richard Blakey at 138 when the wicketkeeper hung out his bat at Melvyn Betts and was caught in the slips to end a 79 stand in 23 overs.

With Lehmann settling in nicely, Vaughan went on his unruffled way until he aimed to hit Hunter to leg but the ball came off his pad and flattened his off-stump. He had received 149 deliveries, struck 14 fours and had left England with little option but to call him up for the first Test against the West Indies next week.

Matthew Wood stayed long enough to push Yorkshire into the lead but he was given a torrid time by Steve Harmison who was hitting the deck hard and a lifting ball found the edge of Wood's bat and flew to Jimmy Daly at third slip.

Harmison was showing why England are so interested in him and in the last over before lunch, Gary Fellows could not avoid contact with another excellent delivery which found its way into the slips.

An uncomfortable stay by Gavin Hamilton ended when he was lbw to Betts and James Middlebrook was credited with five when he was dropped by Daley af first slip and Paul Collingwood at second missed the stumps at the other end with the ball going for four overthrows.

But once Middlebrook was out for 22, Lehmann had no-one to support him and his unusually patient innings, which contained only six boundaries, finished when he touched an intended drive at a legside ball from Hunter.

Durham showed little fighting spirit as Lewis was caught behind in Gough's first over and Australian Simon Katich shouldered arms at the England man to have his off stump sent spinning out of the ground.

Daley cut Hamilton low to backward point where Vaughan calmly swooped on the catch and there was a further misjudgment when Paul Collingwood offered no stroke at Hamilton and was lbw.

Gough returned to have Nick Speak lbw for his season's best score of 32 as Durham succumbed further to relentless pressure.

SCOREBOARD

PPP healthcare County Championship

Division One

Durham v Yorkshire

(at Riverside, final day of four)

Durham first innings: 189 (73.5 overs) (Lewis 52, Hoggard 5-67).

Yorkshire First Innings

Byas lbw b Symington 29

Vaughan b Hunter 94

Blakey c Collingwood b Betts 21

Lehmann c Speight b Hunter 79

Wood c Daley b Harmison 9

Fellows c Betts b Harmison 3

Hamilton lbw b Betts 6

Middlebrook c Katich b Collingwood 22

Gough c Katich b Hunter 5

Hoggard not out 1

Hutchison lbw b Hunter 0

Extras lb17 w4 nb4 25

Total (98.3 overs) 294

Fall: 1-59 2-138 3-172 4-191 5-203 6-233 7-276 8-291 9-294

Bowling: Harmison 26-7-58-2, Betts 23-4-42-2, Symington 13-1-61-1, Hunter 22.3-4-73-4, Collingwood 14-3-43-1.

Durham Second Innings

Lewis c Blakey b Gough 0

Daley c Vaughan b Hamilton 10

Katich b Gough 5

Collingwood lbw b Hamilton 16

Speak lbw b Gough 32

Peng not out 12

Symington not out 5

Extras b4 lb4 nb6 14

Total 5 wkts (35 overs) 94

Fall: 1-0 2-14 3-24 4-35 5-79

Overnight bowling: Gough 12-3-30-3, Hoggard 9-3-19-0, Hamilton 7-3-18-2, Hutchison 4-2-12-0, Middlebrook 3-0-7-0.