Yorkshire Cricket by David Warner

Yorkshire came close to their first defeat by Oxford University since 1949 in The Parks yesterday and in the end their depleted side were happy to battle it out for a face-saving draw.

Set to make 291 for victory in 130 minutes plus a minimum of 20 overs, Yorkshire plunged to 37 for three at one stage and had to fight every inch of the way to close on 209 for seven.

Hopes of running through the second half of Oxford University's batting in the morning were quickly dashed as early solid resistance was replaced by a robust stand of 118 in 33 overs for the eighth wicket between captain Jim Fulton and wicketkeeper Jez Barnes.

Neither pace nor spin worried the pair with Fulton being particularly harsh on Michael Vaughan's off-spin and the left-hander had rushed to 78 off 109 balls with 11 fours and a six when Vaughan got a bit of his own back by holding a return drive, the University immediately declaring at 233 for eight.

Until yesterday, Fulton had been in wretched form this season and his previous highest score was only 14. Richard Stemp's dismissal of Dave Eadie was his only victim of the match but he gave away only 25 runs in as many overs in the second innings and found a better line than for some time.

Anthony McGrath had not fielded in order to rest a knee injury on which he will have further treatment today, but Yorkshire wrongly assumed that McGrath would be allowed to open the batting in this contest.

He came down the pavilion steps with captain David Byas, who had gone in first to try to make up for his earlier failure, but was sent back by umpire Bob White who had to give him another red card when McGrath tried again with three wickets down.

He eventually made it at 158 for five and helped to stave off the crisis. Matthew Wood opened with Byas but had made only six when he was caught behind driving loosely at the left-arm Dave Mather and after a few sturdy blows Byas was bowled going forward to Dave Eadie.

Alarm bells were ringing when Bradley Parker was lbw to the next ball, the first of a new over from Mather, and it took a 65 stand between Vaughan and Craig White to calm things down.

White drove Eadie straight to Fulton at cover after tea for 37 but Vaughan found another partner of sound temperament in Colin Chapman who contributed 20 to a 56 stand before being bowled by Byrne.

Suddenly, Yorkshire were in trouble again as Lightfoot's left arm spin was tried for the first time and in his first over he had Vaughan caught behind cutting for 59 from 93 balls with seven boundaries.

Gavin Hamilton was snapped up close in during the extra half hour and the contrasting combination of McGrath and Richard Stemp was needed to guide Yorkshire to safety, McGrath with solid defence and Stemp with a carefree swing of the bat which brought him a six and four fours in his 26.

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