Yorkshire Cricket by David Warner

Yorkshire battled grimly against tight Leicestershire bowling at Headingley today after they had suffered the early loss of opener Anthony McGrath who did not manage to add to his overnight eight.

There were several anxious moments for Michael Vaughan and David Byas as Chris Lewis and Alan Mullally sought further breakthroughs, but the second wicket pair survived to take their partnership beyond the 50 mark.

Chasing Leicestershire's first innings score of 353 for nine declared, Yorkshire resumed on 25 without loss, but McGrath registered yet another batting failure in only the third over. He could not keep down a testing ball from Lewis and Darren Maddy held on to a good catch at second slip, making Yorkshire 30 for one.

In nine championship innings so far this season, McGrath has managed only 164 runs - and 63 of those were 'given' to him by Derbyshire in order to hasten a declaration.

Skipper Byas, who has scored a century in each of the two previous championship matches at Headingley this season, got moving with a square driven boundary off Lewis but batting was generally hard work for the second wicket pair.

An involuntary edge by Vaughan against Lewis fell just short of Maddy and twice in one over Byas was badly beaten by the left-arm Mullally. Vaughan relieved some of the pressure by getting on the front foot to drive Mullally regally through the covers and with 20 overs gone, Yorkshire were 60 for one.

Leicestershire made their first bowling change of the morning when Phil Simmons took over from Mullally and his first delivery was whipped away through mid wicket for three by Vaughan. It was not long before Mullally replaced Lewis at the football end and Byas edged him for four through the slips before Vaughan was fortunate not to play on against Simmons.

A no-ball from Simmons was struck nicely off his legs by Vaughan to the boundary and the six runs which accrued raised the 50 partnership in 17 overs. Leicestershire's Leeds-born batsman Iain Sutcliffe went to hospital for an X-ray on his right elbow today after being struck a painful blow by Paul Hutchison yesterday and his place in the field was taken by Tim Mason. Sutcliffe returned to the ground to report that there was bad bruising but no break.

Yorkshire's Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann was today having an injection on the back muscle injury which has caused him to miss the Leicestershire game.

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