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County Championship D1, Headingley, day one: Yorkshire 163-2 (at close) v Lancashire

Defending champions Yorkshire were frustrated by the weather as rain halted their progress in the the Roses match.

An unbroken stand of 139 between skipper Darren Lehmann and Anthony McGrath laid the foundation for a sizeable first innings score.

But no play was possible after tea, time they could ill afford to lose as anything less than victory would leave their hopes of escaping relegation hanging by a thread.

Former captain David Byas did them a favour by dropping a slip chance offered by Lehmann off James Anderson when he had made 22, and the Australian finished on 68 not out, with McGrath unbeaten on 55.

Byas had earlier claimed a difficult low catch, but opener Matthew Wood stood his ground and was given the beneift of the doubt after a lengthy chat between the umpires.

Peter Martin bowls Matthew Wood
Wood paid for an error of judgment

It did not do Wood much good as he was bowled by Peter Martin for five with the score on 19 and the former England seamer achieved a second breakthrough when he had Craig White lbw for 11.

Lehmann, however, was quick to latch onto anything off line outside off stump and McGrath looked full of confidence after his Man of the Match performance in the C&G Trophy tie agaist Essex.

Both batsmen went to their fifties after lunch, but only 13 overs were possible during the afternoon.

Lehmann hit 10 fours in all, with McGrath collecting eight so far in his three hours innings.

Yorkshire: C White, M J Wood, A McGrath, D S Lehmann (Capt), M J Lumb, V J Craven, R J Blakey (Wkt), C J Elstub, C E W Silverwood, D Gough, R J Sidebottom.

Lancashire: M J Chilton, A J Swann, D Byas, S G Law, N H Fairbrother, G Keedy, W K Hegg (Capt, Wkt), G Chapple, J Wood, J M Anderson, P J Martin.

Umpires: A Clarkson and J F Steele


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