Somerset's James Hildreth hits nine fours during his innings

Somerset shrugged off a final morning scare to secure a draw against Yorkshire at Scarborough and keep themselves in the title picture.

They were in trouble on 39-3 after Darren Gough, in his final home game for Yorkshire, took two wickets.

But James Hildreth steadied the innings with 63 and Ian Blackwell made 55 before Somerset declared on 317-8 adn the match came to an end.

They will go into their final game eight points behind leaders Notts.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, and face a crunch relegation decider against Sussex at Hove, although they are only five points behind fifth from bottom Lancashire.

There was never any prospect of the two captains trying to contrive a positive result at the start of play as both sides had too much to lose.

But Yorkshire had just a glimmer of hope when skipper Gough bowled Craig Kieswetter in his first over and then removed opposite number Justin Langer, who was caught behind for one.

Tim Bresnan accounted for Arul Suppiah (19) but Hildreth, who hit nine fours, and Zander de Bruyn calmed any Somerset nerves with a fourth-wicket stand of exactly 100.

Yorkshire had to wait until after lunch for their next success when de Bruyn, on 45, was taken by Adam Lyth at short leg to become leg-spinner Adil Rashid's first victim.

It was 166-5 - a lead of only 132 - when another Rashid delivery caught the shoulder of Hildreth's bat and Richard Pyrah accepted the chance at slip.

Darren Gough celebrates after taking a wicket for Yorkshire

But first-innings centurion Blackwell snuffed out any remaining danger with the help of Peter Trego, the pair adding 70 together before Trego hit Rashid to Deon Kruis at mid-off.

Blackwell struck a straight six off former England captain Michael Vaughan, who bowled six overs of off-spin at a cost of 47 runs and suffered a side injury.

But Marcus Trescothick, who batted at number eight because of a shoulder problem, only managed a single before he was taken at mid-wicket off Jacques Rudolph.

Blackwell was last to go, caught by Gough off Lyth, but Alfonso Thomas helped himself to an unbeaten 39 before Langer decided it was safe to call his batsmen in.

The draw lifted Somerset into second place in the table and they must now look to beat Lancashire at Taunton in their final match and hope Notts come unstuck against Hampshire.

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