MARATHON man Joe Sayers slowly but surely put Yorkshire in control of their LV Championship match against Durham with a six-and-a-half hour century at Headingley Carnegie yesterday.

And in so doing, the left-hander set Yorkshire a real poser for when England captain Michael Vaughan joins the side for next week's Championship tussle with Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Thanks to Sayers' painstaking unbeaten innings of 136, in exactly eight hours 20 minutes, Yorkshire were able to close the second day on 368-7 giving them a lead over Durham of 94.

If Anthony McGrath has recovered from his chest infection in time for Southampton then he should win back his place from Andrew Gale - and that would leave Sayers the most vulnerable to stand down for Vaughan.

But it will be tough luck on Sayers and possibly not in the best interests of the team if he has got to give way to someone who is struggling to find form - even though that person happens to be the England captain.

Sayers spent part of last winter at a cricket coaching school in Cape Town and while he was there he sought out advice from Geoff Boycott on how to improve his batting technique.

And whatever he was told he certainly put into practice because this was an innings straight out of the Boycott textbook.

The sheer tenacity shown by Sayers and his determination to stay at the crease made Durham bitterly regret the spilled catch at second slip by Michael Di Venuto on Wednesday evening when the batsman was only on three.

Resuming on 50-2, Yorkshire made slow progress through Sayers and Younus but there was a flash of aggression from the Pakistan Test star when he produced a full-blooded hook at Stephen Harmison which sent the ball soaring into the second tier of the stand.

The pair had put on 67 together when Younus fell lbw to Callum Thorp's slower ball for 42 and Sayers was then joined in another gritty stand by Gale during which the opener moved slowly to his 50 off 212 balls in four hours and 21 minutes.

Gale had contributed 36 to the 93 stand when he fell lbw to Stephen Harmison, making Yorkshire 186-4, but Durham's hopes of a batting slide were dashed as Gerard Brophy produced the brightest batting of the day in a 130 partnership in 36 overs which took Yorkshire into the lead.

A cut for four off Thorp brought Sayers his third Championship century from 318 deliveries with ten boundaries and smarter progress continued at the other end as Brophy played some glorious ground shots.

He had dashed on to 80 when he trod on his stumps while facing Steve Harmison after receiving 110 balls and striking 13 boundaries.

Adil Rashid and Tim Bresnan departed quickly to leave Yorkshire on 318-7 but captain Darren Gough went straight on the attack to rush his side to 350 and a third batting bonus point before striking consecutive balls from Thorp for four and six.

The eighth wicket pair had added 50 by the close when Gough was 26 and the indestructible Sayers still there to fight another day.