Yorkshire have been frustrated by the weather in the majority of their LV= County Championship fixtures this season, but today's downpour guaranteed them an early draw rather than denying them a chance of victory. Yorkshire take 7 points to Northamptonshire's 7.

MATCH ZONE

DAY FOUR MATCH REPORT

Yorkshire have been frustrated by the weather in the majority of their LV= County Championship fixtures this season, but today's downpour guaranteed them an early draw rather than denying them a chance of victory. Yorkshire take 7 points to Northamptonshire's 7.

It was Northants verus Yorkshire versus the ever present chance of showers as the Tykes resumed their second innings at 5-0, still 98 runs behind.

Adam Lyth (15) was the first to go when he drove at Olly Stone uppishly and scythed a catch to Kyle Coetzer at point. Phil Jaques (7) was bowled by one that turned and bounced from James Middlebrook to give the former Tyke his 400th first-class wicket.

And ten minutes before lunch Joe Root (38 from 92 balls) edged David Willey to Stephen Paters at second slip. It was an excellent catch low to the fielders right and Yorkshire were in a bit of trouble. 

There were 46 dot balls before lunch was taken with the score 67-3. Yorkshire trail by 36 runs.

The score became 74-3 in the two overs possible after lunch but torrential rain arroved at Wantage Road. The groundstaff moved quickly, but the rain was quicker than they were. The covers were not on quickly to protect the square which quickly became saturated.

At 2.07pm the umpires made the sensible decision of putting everyone out of their misery.

It leaves Yorkshire with four Championship matches to play. Jason Gillespie said later that he was looking for his side to win three of the remaining games and he would look for his team to play positive cricket in doing so.

JAMES BUTTLER at WANTAGE ROAD 

DAY THREE MATCH REPORT

Northants posted 352 in response to Yorkshire first innings of 249. They took a lead of 103 runs into the evening session on day three which Yorkshire survived without alarm at 5-0.

Northants will fancy their chances of putting pressure on the Tykes top order in the morning session, but if wickets don't fall there may be scope to set this match up with both teams, judging by their position in the promotion chase, keen to win.

If Yorkshire bat well they will be roughly level at lunch when the captains could get together and set up a Northants chase later in the day. All of that assumes that the weather will be kind and unfortunately the forecast is far from it.

There were only 25.5 overs possible on the morning of day three as Yorkshire regained a foothold in proceedings as Moin Ashraf and Adil Rashid claimed two wickets apiece.

Ashraf made an early breakthough as he ended a fourth wicket stand of 85 when Rob Newton aimed a cover drive and edged to Gary Ballance at first slip. Next ball he trapped Andrew Hall in front, but the hat-trick ball was an attempted yorker which James Middlebook's leg stump seemed to breathe in to avoid.

Rashid then had Middlebrook lbw for 10 as the hosts slipped to 212-6 and Yorkshire's had restored faint hopes of a first innings lead.

Stephen Peters went to his ton with a cut behind square. It had taken him 206 balls and included 11 fours and was his first against Yorkshire. His vigil came to an end though when he struck a short ball into Joe Root at short-leg and it stuck. Most people in the ground were looking at the midwicket boundary to see the ball sail over the ropes. It will be worth watching the highlights package tomorrow morning to establish just how much Root knew about the catch. (Edit: They missed it!!)

Only 4 more runs were added when an early lunch was taken at 235-7 as the rain returned to Wantage Road. Looking at the weather forecast it may be some time before it goes away.

An inspection was planned at 4pm which brought about a 4.30pm restart with 33 overs left to play.

Northants took full advantage of the situation as David Willey took control. He cracked Rashid through cover for 2 which took Northants into the lead. Yorkshire took the new ball after 88 overs, but still could not make the breakthrough.

Willey reached his fifty from 50 balls with 6 fours, but David Murphy was leg before to Rashid as Northants were 304-8. The hosts needed 46 runs from their last two wickets in 10.5 overs to secure a fourth batting point and the Tykes another wicket to secure a third and final bowling point.

Willey was dismissed for 76, his highest first-class score to give Rashid (5-105) his first five wicket haul since he filled his boots at New Road in early April 2011. Yorkshire had their final bonus point with four balls to spare, Northants secured their batting point and when Azeem Rafiq had Lee Daggett caught at slip for 1 Northants were 352 all out and a lead of 103 runs.

Yorkshire had four testing overs to face and the prospect of a full day tomorrow to (if pessimistic) avoid defeat, or (if very optimistic) force a win somehow.

JAMES BUTTLER at WANTAGE ROAD

DAY TWO MATCH REPORT

The weather frustrated again on day two at Wantage Road and so did the Northamptonshire batsmen as Yorkshire were made to battle for their three successes. Northants closed on 175-3, still 74 runs behind.

Northants got off to a positive start against the new ball as Kyle Coetzer and Stephen Peters began the task of pushing their side ahead of Yorkshire's 249 all out.

Coetzer walloped Moin Ashraf for successive boundaries through cover in his opening over. There were few alarms for the opening pair in the first hour which saw Azeem Rafiq introduced in the 14th over with the score 46-0.

It had been comfortable, but a spirited last half hour saw Northants slip to 90-2 at lunch.

First Coetzer (31) cut Azeem Rafiq straight to Phil Jaques at point and then Richard Pyrah had David Sales (11) caught at second slip by Adam Lyth.

Adil Rashid's fourth ball of his second spell after the interval accounted for Alex Wakely who drove at a leg-spinner and edged to Jaques at second slip.

But the blight of the season, rain, reared it's all too familar ugly head again when the players were forced from the field at 2.12pm. The players returned for a resumption at 3.02pm, but before Steve Patterson could run in to complete his over the rain returned.

Play finally began again with Northants taking their score to 175-3 when a heavier period of rain intervened.

Stephen Peters had reached his third Championship fifty of the season in 115 balls with 7 fours. The fourth wicket partnership, which has kept the host's noses ahead in this match is worth 69 runs and Alex Wakely had scored an excellent 40 from 61 balls.

The 'man most likely' for the Tykes was Adil Rashid whose 9 overs had yielded 1-25. There are signs that the spring is back in the 24 year-old step and he may yet have a big part to play in this game as the White Rose county seek to regain control against a dogged opposition - weather permitting.

AUDIO: Adil Rashid after day two

JAMES BUTTLER at WANTAGE ROAD

DAY ONE MATCH REPORT

Yorkshire will rue their shot selection after ill-judgement contributed to the majority of their wickets as they were bowled out for 249 at the end of the first day in Northampton.

To put all the blame at the batsmen's door takes away from a Northants attack who bowled with discipline and some fire to contain a batting lineup who would have fancied their chances after winning the toss.

The White Rose made two changes to the side that drew with Leicestershire - Richard Pyrah and Adil Rashid replacing Steve Harmison and Anthony McGrath. Pyrah was also named as the nominated player to be replaced by Tim Bresnan should he not make the England XI for the Headingley Test.

It was not an easy track to get in on, although the first boundary came in the fourth over when Root glided Daggett through midwicket. But then David Willey produced a snorting lifter that Adam Lyth (6) could only fend to James Middlebrook at point.

Willey was hurrying everyone. A short ball to Phil Jaques was top-edged for six with the batsman in no position to pull with authority. Olly Stone was introduced to bowl the 12th over and induced a lazy shot from Root (25) to his second delivery which was edged behind.

Daggett returned from the Indoor Centre End and nearly upset Jaques who, in trying to drive through cover and mistiming badly, lobbed his bat over his head and back over the stumps. Great Britain won their first Olympic gold in the rowing as Yorkshire's resolve strengthened. Andrew Gale hit three punchy boundaries as the two senior men of the top order combined to steady the ship.

It wasn't easy. At 75-2 there were no runs scored for 35 balls as Willey and Daggett continued to probe. Finally Gale turned Willey to leg for a single just before the lunch break.

The afternoon session promised to be pivotal and Jaques and Gale started positively. Jaques began to blossom as he raced past fifty for the fifth time this summer with two delightful square cut fours. It had taken him 101 balls an included 7 fours and a six. He hadn't stopped there as he struck Stone through midwicket with genuine power. Then, on 59, Jaques aimed Middlebrook over long-on and skied a tough chance to Stone who ran back to see the ball go through his hands.

Just as Yorkshire seemed to have ridden the worst of the conditions they lost two wickets within 5 balls sparked by a needless run out. Gale drove Middlebrook firmly to mid-off and called Jaques through only for Daggett to field quickly and throw down the stumps at the striker's end with Jaques (75) short of his ground. Then Daggett took the ball from the Pavilion End and caught and bowled Gale (38) with his second delivery. Yorkshire had slipped to 148-4. 

Ballance drove Middlebrook through extra-cover for four and in the next over Bairstow stood tall and guided Stone behind point for another boundary. Fresh from his 118 at Grace Road Bairstow whipped Stone through mid-wicket and stroked through cover for successive boundaries.

175-4 at tea turned into 175-5 when Bairstow wafted across the line and was lbw to Daggett for 17.

Ballance cracked Middlebrook through extra cover for four and over long-on for six before new batsman Richard Pyrah swung at Daggett and skied a catch to Rob Newton at cover.

Ballance, on 20, had a moment of fortune when he leant back and appeared to deliberately steer Daggett through second and third slip, only for Andrew Hall to react too late to take a catch to his right. Ballance (24) rocked back to pull Middlebrook but only succeeded in skying a tame chance to Stone at wide mid-on.

Yorkshire were 201-7 and everyone but Lyth had contributed to their own downfall. And that theme continued when Adil Rashid, who had played confidently for his 15, lifted Middlebrook straight to Alex Wakely at mid-on.

Northants took the new ball after 80 overs at 211-8 and Rafiq belted Willey through cover to move to 15, but then next ball the kamikaze cricket continued when he skied a drive to Wakely at mid-off.

Steve Patterson hit two of the best shots of the day when he creamed Willey through the covers and two balls later drive him straight for four. In Willey's next over Pattersonj played an even more impressive cover drive as the Tykes edged towards a second batting bonus point.

But it was not to be as Andrew Hall had Moin Ashraf lbw for 4 to leave Patterson stranded on 25 and Yorkshire 249 all out to make it a Yorkshire Day to forget.

The pitch is likely to deteriorate, but the Tykes will have to bowl well tomorrow to squeeze ahead in this game.

JAMES BUTTLER at WANTAGE ROAD

MATCH PREVIEW

Yorkshire must pick themselves up quickly after being frustrated by the weather at Grace Road where the rain denied Andrew Gale's side the maximum possible points for a victory.

Northamptonshire will certainly not have given up their own hopes of promotion this season. They currently sit in fifth place in the second division and with a game in hand on Yorkshire are 27 points behind.

Yorkshire's maximum point draw sees them leapfrog Hampshire into second, but it's been a frustrating season where the weather has denied them the opportunity to confirm their advantage in matches.

Adam Lyth's superb 248 not out has catapulted him to the top of Yorkshire's LV= County Championship batting averages this summer. It's great to see the Whitby-born left-hander back to his best.

Lyth was understandably pleased with his efforts at Grace Road: "I played well all the way through my innings. I knew I had to get a big score under my belt to keep my place in the team."

Yorkshire two double centurions of the past fortnight, Joe Root and Lyth, head the batting stakes. The clouds may not suggest it, but the future's bright for the White Rose county.

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

Andrew GALE (c), Joe ROOT, Adam LYTH, Phil JAQUES, Jonny BAIRSTOW (wk), Gary BALLANCE, Anthony McGRATH, Azeem RAFIQ, Steve PATTERSON, Moin ASHRAF, Richard PYRAH and Adil RASHID.

Steve Harmison picked up a side injury during the Grace Road encounter and is not fit for selection. Ryan Sidebottom is still absent with a calf injury, but is recovering well and it is hoped he will return to Championship action against Derbyshire.

NORTHANTS SQUAD

Stephen PETERS, Kyle COETZER, David SALES, Alex WAKELY, Rob NEWTON, Andrews HALL (capt), James MIDDLEBROOK, David MURPHY (wk), David WILLEY, Chaminda VAAS, Lee DAGGETT and Olly STONE.

Interim Head Coach David Ripley has made some changes from the victory against the Unicorns with Chaminda Vaas, David Willey, Stephen Peters and captain Andrew Hall coming back into the squad. Jack Brooks misses out on the match as he is recovering from injury.