Jubilant Yorkshire achieved one of the most rapid reversals in fortunes in their history at Riverside yesterday when they dramatically turned the tables on Durham to crush them by nine wickets inside three days.

They began the day in deep trouble at 235 for eight, still trailing by 102 runs on the first innings, but when they started up their second innings straight after tea they required only 93 to win - which they got in 18.4 overs and all was done and dusted by 5.45pm.

Yorkshire were initially invigorated by a stunning 177 from opener Michael Vaughan, splendidly supported by the lion-hearted tail, which took them to a final total of 319 that whittled down Durham's lead to 18.

Then Durham's flagging spirit was crushed by Richard Stemp, Paul Hutchison and Ryan Sidebottom who sent them crashing to 74 all out in just 44 overs, the lowest score against Yorkshire since Worcestershire were dismissed for 73 at New Road four years' ago.

Vaughan's 177 was the higest individual score ever recorded at Riverside, beating 171 by Phil Simmons for Leicestershire in 1996, and Durham's total of 74 was their lowest on the ground, their previous worst being 85 against Kent in 1995.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Yorkshire's triumph was that it was achieved without their three leading pace bowlers in Darren Gough, Chris Silverwood and Craig White, and the 23 points they gained from the match rekindled their championship challenge.

It was their first away win of the season but they remain five points behind Durham who went into the game in second place - three rungs higher than Yorkshire started out.

Vaughan was on 118 when Yorkshire resumed in the morning with every run that he and Sidebottom could squeeze out being vitally import.

Sidebottom never wavered in his rock solid support of his senior partner and his first two singles consumed 24 overs before be more than doubled his score with a cover drive for three.

The stand chiselled out 52 runs in 28 overs before Sidebottom carved a ball to point for eight and Vaughan then found an equally reliable ally in Matthew Hoggard who took ten overs to get off the mark but later smacked two boundaries over mid-wicket off an amazed Steve Harmison.

The last wicket partnership was worth 45 when Vaughan was bowled by Michael Foster so narrowly failed to become the first Yorkshire batsman since Geoff Boycott in 1985 to carry his bat through a completed innings.

Vaughan had been at the wicket for 437 minutes, the length of the innings, facing 354 balls and striking ten boundaries.

Hoggard bowled only one loose over before giving way to Stemp but Hutchison shattered Durham's hopes of making a sound start by sending back Jon Lewis and Nick Speak with consecutive balls to leave them on 16 for two.

Hutchison also picked up the most important wicket soon after lunch when he trapped David Boon lbw on the back foot while Stemp proved impossible to score off early on, his first eight overs all being maidens.

During this sequence Stemp had opener Michael Gough lbw and Sidebottom replaced Hutchison to wipe out the middle order and finish with career-best figures of three for 13, one of his victims being Yorkshire-born Foster who was sensationally caught by a twisting, leaping Hoggard on the boundary at backward square leg.

At 54 for seven, Durham tried slogging their way to a few more runs but the last three wickets were all claimed by Stemp who posted astonishing figures of 21-17-13-4. He was struck for three fours and a single which meant that there were only four scoring shots off his 126 deliveries.

Yorkshire never had the slightest trouble chasing their small target against demoralised oppoents and Anthony McGrath dashed to 33 out of 48 with Vaughan before hitting a catch to mid-on.

Vaughan, who was on the field for the entire match, celebrated the rapidly approaching victory with a six over square leg off John Wood, and he went in unbeaten on 36, the only pity being that it was not he but his captain, David Byas, who made the winning run.

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