Fantastic fight from Gary Ballance who batted for almost 4 hours for his career best 73 not out secured a gritty draw for the Tykes against Sussex. Yorkshire take 5 points and Sussex 10 from Hove. It's been a tough fortnight, but there's plenty of resilience in this Yorkshire side and this could prove a hugely important day in Yorkshire's season.

MATCH INFO

DAY FOUR REPORT

Fantastic fight from Gary Ballance who batted for almost 4 hours for his career best 73 not out secured a gritty draw for the Tykes against Sussex. Yorkshire take 5 points and Sussex 10 from Hove. It's been a tough fortnight, but there's plenty of resilience in this Yorkshire side and this could prove a hugely important day in Yorkshire's season.

Yorkshire began again on Wednesday at 29-2 still 246 runs behind with 8 wickets remaining. Andrew Gale joined a sprightly looking Anthony McGrath as the Tykes sought to bat all day to save the game.

McGrath was approaching his best with his customary pushed on-drive, full flowing cover drive and punishing pull all on show. Gale was dropped when on 9 by Kirk Wernars at third slip off Wayne Parnell when the score was 63-2, but the pair were determined to gift Sussex nothing and punish anything remotely loose. But just as you thought it was safe to watch, McGrath played back to a slightly quicker delivery from Monty Panesaar and was adjudged lbw for 44.

Jonny Bairstow joined Gale and doesn't know the meaning of the phrase 'resolute defence.' He swept Panesaar for 3 fours in 4 balls as the Tykes made it clear they did not want the former England spinner to settle into a long spell. Like all players in top form, Bairstow has time to play and makes batting look easy. Gale however was less his normal free flowing self, but he had stubbornly refused to yield until he was bowled around his legs by Panesaar when looking to push to the leg-side. It was a big moment, just three minutes before lunch, and Yorkshire were 115-4.

Yorkshire lunched on 118-4 after fighting hard throughout the morning session to deny the Sussex bowlers. Losing just two wickets for 89 runs gave them some hope, but Yorkshire were still behind by 157 runs. Bairstow hit Panesaar for 2 fours as the afternoon got underway. He was in no mood to lie down. He hooked Khan for four in the 48th over and then played consecutive cuts for four off the same bowler two overs later. He hit square on the offside for four to bring up his fifty from 59 balls and then repeated the stroke behind square. The next ball was slog awept for six towards the old scoreboard as Yorkshire collected 20 off the over - 18 to Bairstow and 2 wides.

The sweep shot had been highly lucrative for Bairstow, but he tried one too many off Panesaar and Nash ran in from deep square to scoop the catch. His 76 came in 93 balls and included 14 fours and 1 six. Ballance had just 6 to his name, but had helped to add 78 with Bairstow for the 5th wicket, but he was left as the seniot partner and began to rise to the challenge.

Yorkshire were 261-5 and 14 runs behind at tea with a minimum of 30 overs remaining in the day. To get through the afternoon session with the loss of one wicket was a major achievement for the Tykes. Ballance (33) and Rashid (27) would resume after the interval having added an unbroken 68 for the 6th wicket. The job was by no means complete however, but a batting display with similar application as shown before would be enough to secure a draw.

Rashid looped one from Panesaar off bat and pad to Nash at short-leg for 27 from the first ball after tea and it was game on again, particularly as the new ball was taken 12 balls later. Ballance cut Parnell over backward point for six and Yorkshire edged ahead, but Shahzad was lbw for 1 to Amjad Khan and the see-saw nature of Yorkshire's season continued.

Ballance pushed a single to reach fifty from 153 balls with 6 fours and 1 six, but the hard work of seeing the game through to the close was still the only milestone he had on his mind. He was disappointed to have not seen Yorkshire safety against Lancashire at Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and seemed determined not to let this one slip. After 16 days of an unsuccessful Championship road trip behind them it was time for one last push from the Tykes.

So it was into the final hour and Panesaar got Sidebottom with the first ball of the last 16, producing a turner to claim his fifth wicket of the innings.

Ballance continued with Patterson and the equation was simple. Bat the overs, or get far enough ahead to deny Sussex a realistic run chase. That, amid the tension, was not going to be easy. But Ballance seemed unphased as he pulled Anyon for six to reach his Championship highest score.

The overs ticked down, Patterson survived 41 balls, and Michael Yardy decided to shake hands with 3.4 overs left when 4 byes took the Tykes out of potential hitting distance.

JAMES BUTTLER in HOVE

DAY THREE REPORT

Yorkshire had a testing 12 overs to face at the end of Day 3 after being asked to follow on. Joe Sayers made it dismissed twice in three deliveries in the day as Wayne Parnell induced an edge and Joyce took the chance at second slip. It left Joe Root and Anthony McGrath to see the innings through until close, but when Root was lbw to an imploring Chris Nash for 20 to the penultimate ball of the day the task to save the match grew considerably tougher.

It was largely defence from Yorkshire as they reached 29-2 at stumps, but there was a lovely pull for four by McGrath off Anyons. He looked to be hitting the ball sweetly and was moving his feet well. Hopefully that bodes well for tomorrow. Yorkshire have 8 wickets remaining and are 246 runs adrift and it will take every ounce of Yorkshire grit there is to muster in the Tykes dressing room if they are to save this game.

Yorkshire had recommenced Day 3 on 21-0, 527 runs behind Sussex's first innings of 548-4 declared. Joe Root pushed a single from the first ball of the day, but the next ball from Amjad Khan found Joe Sayers' edge which was caught by Ed Joyce at second slip.

Anthony McGrath glanced to the fine leg boundary to get off the mark, but Khan found his inside edge when driving he was bowled for 4. Andrew Gale then edged onto his own stumps from Wayne Parnell without scoring and Yorkshire were 33-3 having lost 3 wickets for 11 runs in 28 balls.

Jonny Bairstow is in fine form at the moment and, although he played and missed at a few early on, he drove Parnell down the hill and then Khan up through mid-off with glorious efficiency. Anything remotely short, over-pitched or wide sees the middle of Bairstow's bat these days and the Yorkshire fifty was on the board in the 22nd over. 

James Anyon replaced Khan and with his fifth ball produced a lifter to dismiss Bairstow and the score was 72-4. Every now and then one was flying for the Sussex pacemen and this delivery rearerd up, caught glove and Yardy took a comfortable catch at 1st slip.

Gary Ballance joined Root and continued his recent good form. He faced 36 balls for his 25, which included 4 fours but played back to a delivery from Panesaar that turned out of the bowlers' footmarks and was adjudged lbw to leave Yorkshire 109-5, fifteen minutes before lunch.

Joe Root was unbeaten with a solid 32 as Yorkshire lunched on 115-5 and Adil Rashid resumed the afternoon session on 5 not out. Yorkshire were trailing by 433 runs and still needing 284 runs to avoid the follow on.

Root stroked 2 fours from Khan's first over after the break and, for Root and Rashid, batting through the afternoon session was the mission. The Sheffield-born opener went to a gritty half century from 141 balls with 5 fours. Rashid tucked a single to leg to bring up the 150 in the 55th over, but after adding 65 for the 6th wicket Rashid was lbw to Wernars without playing a shot and the momentum was lost again.

Ajmal Shahzad planted his front foot and swung Panesaar over long-on for six to take the score to 189-6 and Yorkshire were edging closer to a first bonus point of the game. Shahzad, who rarely seems to take a quick single in a straight line, would have been out with a direct hit from Goodwin when on 11.

Parnell was reintroduced from the Cromwell Road End and found some reverse swing and a Yorker took Root's off-stump - out for 70 from 195 balls in which he hit 7 fours. A very mature innings from the 20-year-old who has proved a terrific introduction at the top of the order this summer. Four balls later Ryan Sidebottom aimed a cut at Parnell and was caught behind by Hodd. Yorkshire were 198-8, but had managed to get that batting bonus point when Steve Patterson nudged a legside single.

Ajmal Shahzad was 16 not out at tea and Steve Patterson 2 after the Tykes had added 91 runs in the afternoon for the loss of a further three wickets. At 206-8 at tea, Yorkshire were trailing by 342 runs and needed an unlikely 193 more runs to avoid being asked to bat again.

Shahzad and Patterson showed more positive intent in the overs after the interval. Parnell was driven beautifully through cover by Shahzad and hopes of a second batting bonus point rose. Patterson believed at the start of the season that he should have been above Sidebottom in the order and the way he drove Parnell in front of square for four showed what he is capable of.

The new ball was taken by Anyon after 80 overs with the score on 225-8. Patterson rocked back and hit hard to the cover fence only for the bowler to fell hin twice with a Yorker. Khan was bowling with the new cherry down the hill after impressive early spells but Patterson squared cut him to the boundary, but unsurprisingly the run-rate had slowed.

Patterson was outscoring the usually more flamboyant Shahzad. He guided Anyon to the third man boundary and then hit the next ball through cover for four more. The fifty stand arrived at 249-8. A lifter from Anyon hurt Patterson, but he was enjoying the contest as he hit behind square and hooked fine for four more as Yorkshire secured their second batting point.

Yorkshire were all out for 273 and were asked to follow on by Michael Yardy as they trailed by 275 runs. Ajmal Shahzad swept Panesaar straight to Wernars at deep square and then Patterson's vigil ended on 53 when he was bowled by Wernars. It was Patterson's career best and his first fifty. He faced 90 balls and hit 10 fours, but his reaction when he left the middle with bat raised but head bowed showed he had wanted more runs and how disappointed he was with the numbers on the scoreboard behind him.

JAMES BUTTLER in HOVE

DAY TWO REPORT

Yorkshire closed Day 2 on 21-0 in reply to Sussex’s first innings 548-4 declared, which included a wonderful unbeaten 274 from Murray Goodwin.

Luke Wells (143no) and Goodwin (108no) both began Day 2 in hove in the enviable position of being unbeaten with centuries to their name overnight. Goodwin is not the sort of player to be content with merely three figures and he began as he’d left off with runs galore the diet of the first part of the day.

Wells brought up his 150, off 301 balls, with an all run four. He continued, sweeping Adil Rashid for six as Sussex moved past 350 and collected their fourth batting bonus point. With just over an hour played, Goodwin pushed into the leg-side to bring up his 150.

Wells and Goodwin had added 304, the highest stand of the 2011 county circuit, when Goodwin edged Patterson into the leg-side for one. Wells turned blindly for the second and as Patterson fielded the return from the outfield he threw down the stumps at the batsman’s end with a direct hit and Wells was run out for 174. Knowing he’s played well and there had been the prospect of more runs to come Wells was understandably aggrieved to have been dismissed in such a tame way. Sussex were 382-3.

At lunch Sussex had progressed to 411-3 after 127 overs, Goodwin being joined by Sussex captain, Michael Yardy who had been given the platform to play a few shots. A lofted off-drive from a ball from Rashid being the pick.

Yardy would also be the victim of a run out when Oliver Hannon-Dalby kicked the ball into the stumps in his follow through. Yardy was gone for 16, Sussex were 448-4 and all of those pre-match football warm-ups all teams play started to make more sense.

Goodwin’s double hundred was reached in 397 minutes, but he was hungry for more. His 250 came It was his highest score since his 334 against Somerset in 2009. 67 minutes later he left the field when Yardy declared Sussex’s innings at 548-4.

Goodwin’s innings of 274 (it took him only 56 ball from 200) is the highest on the county circuit this summer and included 37 boundaries. With Andrew Hodd he added an unbroken 100 runs in 17 overs for the 5th wicket.

Adil Rashid would finish with figures of 0-187 from his 35.4 overs and Ajmal Shahzad 1-145 from 31 as the Tykes bowlers toiled manfully on a track that gave them little help.

The Sussex declaration came half an hour before tea and Joe Sayers and Joe Root survived 11.2 overs for 21-0 before the weather curtailed play. Yorkshire require another 378 runs to avoid the follow on.

JAMES BUTTLER in HOVE

DAY ONE REPORT

Andrew Gale won the toss in Hove and decided to bowl needing to rid Yorkshire of memories of back-to-back defeats by Lancashire and Somerset. Adam Lyth was left out for the returning Joe Sayers who missed the game at Taunton with a foot injury. Otherwise the team selected was the same that played against Somerset.

Chris Nash was lbw to one that nipped back from Ajmal Shahzad for 16 when the score was 36. His fellow opener Luke Wells, son of former Sussex player Alan Wells, looked in fine fettle. The 6' 4" 20-year-old left-hander punished anything remotely lose with some crisply hit shots on a fast outfield as Sussex moved along at a run a minute in the first hour. Ajmal Shahzad, operating on a much reduced run since the second innings at Taunton last week, put in a marathon stint of 10 consecutive overs down the hill and although he took the one wicket to fall his line was inconsistent.

Joe Gatting was on 5 an age before edging Patterson to third man, but Patterson exacted revenge when Joe Sayers took a fine catch diving forward at cover off a mistimed drive to make the score 78-2. The time was 12.38pm and it would be a while before the Yorkshire fielders were celebrating in a huddle again. Both Steve Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby put the brakes on with tidy spells. They must wonder what they've done wrong at the moment as edges of all varities never went to hand and often went to third man or fine leg for four.

Wells had been slowed appreciably in the 40 minutes before lunch when he was 49 not out, but a four off Patterson in the first over after the interval took him to his half century from 99 balls, which included 10 fours. A square cut by Murray Goodwin off Shahzad brought the hundred up in the 37th over.

Sussex progressed through the afternoon session without losing a wicket and advanced their score to 191-2 at tea. Luke Wells then hit successive pulled fours off Rashid as he motored through the nineties to reach his hunded from 198 balls with 16 fours. At the other end Goodwin was scoring freely.

In an over prior to tea Yorkshire's day was epitomised. Patterson got one to stick in the wicket which lobbed up sort of mid-off, he then found the edge which went between Ballance at first and Rashid at 3rd slip for four. Goodwin past his fifty in 104 balls and hit 7 fours - not all of them off the middle of the bat. There were numerous times that Wells edged through vacancies in the field, but the runs kept coming and Yorkshire were suffering.

It seems a regular theme at the moment that balls taking the edge are dropping short or wide of fielders and no one should ever question the players commitment. They stuck to their task manfully all day.

Someone somewhere seems to have walked under a ladder!

Ajmal Shahzad was getting angry, bowling short deliveries, one of which hit Wells in the midrift. Sidebottom took the new ball at 263-2 after 81.4 overs after Wells had stoked the old ball through cover. Oliver Hannon-Dalby has been as good as anyone of late and was entrusted with the new cherry from the Cromwell Road End. Wickets did not come.

The 200 partnership for the 3rd wicket was reached in 373 balls not long after Andrew Gale would have discovered that his beloved Huddersfield Town FC had been beaten 3-0 by Peterborough in the Division One Play-Off Final. The day was not going well for the Yorkshire captain.

Goodwin was 55 minutes and 39 balls in the nineties due to tight Yorkshire bowling, but went out of that nervous patch with a four to take him to his century. It had taken him 217 balls and included 13 fours.

It had been quite overcast in Hove for the last two days. Some people with 'local knowledge' told me that often brought the seamers into the game early on. It didn't today. Michael Yardy said later that he would have bowled first too if the coin had fallen differently.

JAMES BUTTLER in HOVE

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

Adam LYTH, Joe SAYERS, Anthony McGRATH, Joe ROOT, Andrew GALE (c), Jonny BAIRSTOW (wk), Gary BALLANCE, Adil RASHID, Ajmal SHAHZAD, David WAINWRIGHT, Ryan SIDEBOTTOM, Steve PATTERSON, Oliver HANNON-DALBY and Moin ASHRAF.

MATCH MUSINGS

Yorkshire travelled to Hove on Friday night after the Marcus Trescothick show derailed any chance of a fightback in Taunton. Andrew Gale will be determined to get off to a good start in this 4-day encounter with Sussex to get his own side's show back on track before the t20 break arrives.

A number of people have contacted me demanding changes and enquiring what is wrong with this Yorkshire side compared to last season. The major difference, I believe, is that the key sessions and moments in matches are being lost when last year Yorkshire won them. It is also true that when on top in games this year we've then lost two or three wickets and therefore handed back the initiative to the opposition.

It may sound strange after a 10-wicket defeat in Taunton, but I thought the bowling was excellent, particularly from Ryan Sidebottom and Oliver Hannon-Dalby. Both, on another day, could quite easily have bagged 5-fors.

All-in-all things just haven't gone the Tykes way yet, but this is a good and extremely promising young side that needs your support.

Someone told me after Taunton that Yorkshire have always had good youngsters and have always promised 'jam tomorrow.'

I think the difference now is that Martyn Moxon is building a squad that could bring you 'jam for the next decade' - this year the jam is just taking a little longer then we, and he, would like to set.

JAMES BUTTLER