Centurion Jacques Rudolph flayed Nottinghamshire all round Headingley yesterday to give Yorkshire a fantastic chance of saving this LV= County Championship match against their title rivals.

But then the South African flat-batted questions about his future at the club amid reports emanating from his homeland that he is ready for a return to international cricket this winter.

After scoring a superb 141 off 241 balls, including 19 boundaries, he said: “At the moment I’m still contracted by Yorkshire.

“I don’t want to comment on it any further. I’m still contracted for next season.”

Rudolph has one year left on his Yorkshire deal – and, as things stand, would qualify under the ever-changing Kolpak regulations to fulfil that.

The last of his 35 Tests was in August 2006 against Sri Lanka in Colombo, while he has also played 45 one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international.

Looking at a mammoth deficit of 369 runs, Rudolph notched his 16th four-day century in a White Rose shirt to help his side to a second innings score of 272-2 from 89 overs at the close on day three.

The left-hander, typically proficient in every area, shared a second-wicket partnership of 211 inside 75 overs with Anthony McGrath, who hit 78 not out off 253 balls.

“In the context of the game, the partnership with McGrath was very important,” added Rudolph. “We’re still in with a good chance of saving the game.

“We weren’t as good as we should have been in the first two days, and Notts out-played us, but we’ve had a great fight-back.”

It was just a shame that Rudolph fell in the latter stages of the day, caught by Andre Adams at gully, off the bowling of Darren Pattinson to leave the score at 269-2 in the 88th over.

While Rudolph passed 13,000 first-class career runs yesterday, and 1,000 in the Championship for the fourth year running, McGrath also closed in on four figures for the summer. He is 22 away.

The former captain, unlike Rudolph, had to battle for fluency on a flat and slow pitch.

Nottinghamshire’s only other success was when Paul Franks had Adam Lyth brilliantly caught one-handed by Adams in the gully for 37 during the morning session.

But Rudolph was dropped on 100 by Ally Brown at slip off the bowling of left-arm spinner Samit Patel late in the afternoon session.

McGrath, rapped on the hand twice, only hit eight boundaries in his four-and-a-half hour stay at the crease. Steve Patterson will resume with him as night- watchman this morning.

The day of excellent batting had been started by Australian David Hussey, who finished on 251 not out off 250 balls as the visitors declared their first innings at 545-7.