Yorkshire Cricket by David Warner

Confusion reigned for most of the day at Headingley yesterday when the sprinkling of spectators were generally at a loss to understand what on earth was going on as Yorkshire's game with Cambridge University meandered its way to a draw, writes David Warner.

It had been anticipated the University would declare at their overnight 331 for seven in order to facilitate two forfeitures which would have allowed Yorkshire to go on an interesting run chase.

This had been in the University's mind the previous evening, but probably because Cambridge coach and overlord Derek Randell had too little faith in the students' bowlers, the innings was allowed to continue and it dragged on for a further 45 minutes before the last wicket fell at 366.

There was then a reasonable assumption that two forfeitures had now taken place and that Yorkshire were aiming for a 367 target, but that theory was dispelled when Yorkshire declared at 94 for one and started afresh with the University having forfeited their second innings.

Now Yorkshire's real target was 273 in 134 minutes plus 20 overs and there was a danger of them ending up as losers as half their wickets went down for 73, four of them to some nicely controlled leg-spin from New Zealander Greg Loveridge.

But Darren Gough got the batting practice he needed to test his injured finger and he struck three firm boundaries in making 21 off 49 balls in a 49 stand with Matthew Wood.

Gough then gave Imraan Mohammad his maiden first class wicket by driving him into the covers, leaving Colin Chapman to partner Wood until the teams called it a day at 131 for six with nine of the final 20 overs remaining.

Cambridge's decision to bat on in the morning also meant Gough could get in another useful bowling stint in which he bowled four overs for seven runs. He had five spells in the innings giving him a total of 23 overs at a cost of 54 runs for two wickets.

Michael Vaughan, leading Yorkshire for the first time, had obviously not negotiated any deal with Cambridge at this stage and he and McGrath had put on 20 together when Vaughan played Phil Moffatt into his stumps.

Suddenly, after lunch, the tempo increased, probably because the captains had at last got their heads together, and McGrath had hurried to 51 off 94 balls with eight fours and a six when the declaration came.

McGrath was straight back in to open the second innings, this time with White who was soon bowled by Yorkshire-born John Lowe and at 50 McGrath became the first of Loveridge's four victims when he mis-hit him gently to mid-on.

Meanwhile, White remains out of Yorkshire's championship side for the match against Kent which starts at Maidstone tomorrow.

He was unable to assure skipper David Byas that he had recovered sufficiently from his back problem to put in a full workload with the ball.

White's absence means that Ryan Sidebottom retains his place in the side with White playing instead for the second team in the four-day match against Worcestershire Seconds which began at Harrogate today.

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