Rain again frustrated Yorkshire as their hopes of a maximum point victory that their play deserved were washed away as only 35 overs were possible on the final day. They settle for 11 points to Leicestershire's 8 for the stalemate and rise to second position in the division two table.

(PHOTO: Adam Lyth sended unbeaten on 248 as Yorkshire prospered at Grace Road)

MATCH ZONE

MATCH SCORECARD	CLICK HERE
STEVE PATTERSON INTERVIEW AFTER DAY ONE	CLICK HERE
ADAM LYTH INTERVIEW AFTER DAY TWO	CLICK HERE
ANDREW GALE INTERVIEW AFTER DAY THREE	CLICK HERE
JASON GILLESPIE INTERVIEW AFTER DAY FOUR	CLICK HERE
DAY ONE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS	CLICK HERE
DAY TWO VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS	CLICK HERE
DAY THREE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS	CLICK HERE
DAY FOUR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS	CLICK HERE
LVCC POINTS TABLE	CLICK HERE
YCCC LVCC BATTING AVERAGES 2012	CLICK HERE
YCCC LVCC BOWLING AVERAGES 2012	CLICK HERE

DAY FOUR MATCH REPORT

Rain again frustrated Yorkshire as their hopes of a maximum point victory that their play deserved were washed away as only 35 overs were possible on the final day. They settle for 11 points to Leicestershire's 8 for the stalemate and rise to second position in the division two table.

The task was to take eight Leicestershire wickets, but it was never going to be easy on a pitch still playing well. Patience would be the watchword, but we ran out of it in the end.

Things did not start well when a heavy shower at 10.30am forced an initial delay and a subsequent downpour delayed any chance of a start before 12.15pm.

Then in the first over of the day Steve Harmison produced another swinging slower ball yorkher and Ramnaresh Sarwan's off stump was rocked back and Leicestershire were 61-3. Matt Boyce (6) had scored consecutive hundreds against the Tykes, but he turn Harmison off his hip off the middle of the bat only to see the ball hit Joe Root as short-leg and the youngster hold onto the ball. In the next over Patterson trapped Shiv Thakor lbw to reduce the hosts to 78-5, still 88 runs adrift of making Yorkshire bat again.

Wayne White, on 11, edged Patterson to Adam Lyth's right at second slip, but the chance went to ground as Leicestershire played attacking shots to get themselves out of trouble. If they could get themselves ahead it would at least extend the game.

Edges off Harmison and Patterson didn't quite carry to slip as Leicestershire scraped to the lunch break at 95-5, 71 runs behind.

The rain returned and a further 20 overs were lost from the day and Yorkshire's task became more urgent when play finally resumed at 3pm. 46 overs of play remained and the Tykes required 5 wickets.

Leicestershire survived at 114-5 at tea when 34 overs remained and a big final session stretched ahead, but it was not to be.

We lost an over for a brief shower before the battling partnership of 67 between Ned Eckersley and Wayne White was ended when Azeem Rafiq had the latter caught behind for 44.

One ball later the rain returned. After a protracted period of sunshine when little effort seemed to be made to dry the square play finally resumed at 5.45pm with 6.1 overs remaining.

Ned Eckersley (26) was caught at shortleg by Root off Rafiq and Yorkshire required three wickets in 2.5 overs. Men crowded the bat, but time ran out.

After walking on the pitch at the close of play it was incredibly wet. How wonderful it would be to write a Championship report without a mention of rain. Points and promotion cannot be gained from inside a dressing room watching the covers.

JAMES BUTTLER at GRACE ROAD

DAY THREE MATCH REPORT

Adam Lyth continued where he left off yesterday as he reached an unbeaten 248 and, in doing so, carried his bat and secured maximum batting points and a Yorkshire first innings lead of 166. At the close Leicestershire were 57-2 and trail by 109 runs.

Andrew Gale said later: "Lythy came off and we told him all that, but he didn't know what carrying his bat meant. He said, 'I've been carrying it for a day-and-a-half.'"

But the skipper was full of praise for the left-hander's contribution: "Fair play to the lad. He's had a tough time over the last year-and-a-half and it hasn't quite gone for him."

"He's been in and out of the side, which is never easy, but we've stuck with him, got the faith in him and knew his class that he can deliver and when he plays like that he's one of the best batters in the country.

"When a young player goes through a bad patch you think it's the end of the world, but in the long scheme of things it might be just what he needed.

"You'd like to think from this knock now that the pennies dropped and he can do that for us on a consistent basis."

The Tykes bid for ten Leicestershire wickets started with little fuss on what is still a decent batting track. Greg Smith on 19 edged Patterson just short of Ballance at first slip. Anthony McGrath was switched to the Pavilion End and with his first ball trapped Smith (26) lbw when the batsman played no shot.

Two balls later the rain returned and in total, due to three stoppages, 26 overs were lost on the third day. Just as I thought we were off for the day the players returned with 8.3 overs left to bowl and Steve Harmison took his chance. He bowled a full yorker to Michael Thornely (17) and rocked back his middle peg.

Yorkshire had taken their score to 382-6 on the morning of day three at Grace Road but were frustrated by two heavy showers which saw play halted twice. Anthony McGrath was caught at first slip by Greg Smith from Matthew Hoggard's first ball of the day of the second over, but Adam Lyth and Azeem Rafiq saw the Tykes to an early lunch at 12.50pm.

Play resumed an hour later with 13 overs lost and Yorkshire needing 18 runs from 6 overs to secure maximum batting points. Steve Patterson secured the maximum bonus points haul when he hit Henderson over the top to the boundary to bring up 400 with three balls to spare. Yorkshire take 8 bonus points and Leicestershire 3 from the match.

Lyth hooked Wayne White for four to reach his maiden first-class double century in 361 balls with 21 fours and a six. Patterson (28) more than kept him company during a stand of 73 for the eighth wicket until he lofted a tame catch to point off Henderson as the score became 460-8, but Lyth ploughed on. When he pulled a boundary off White it was the highest score by a Yorkshire player since Darren Lehmann cracked 339 in 2006.

Steve Harmison was lbw to Henderson for a duck. Lyth had begun to open his shoulders. He cracked Buck for a straight six, pulled Hoggard for another, but then Moin Ashraf was stumped by Dixey off Henderson (4-126) for 0 to leave Lyth 246 not out.

It was an innings that spanned 8 hours and 29 minutes, 395 balls, included 28 fours and 3 sixes and made him the first man to carry his bat through a completed Yorkshire innings since Joe Sayers against Durham in 2007.

It was also the highest score by a Tyke carrying his bat. He becomes the 14th player to do it, but some of those have achieved the feat more than once.

For the full list of Yorkshire players carrying their bat throughout a completed innings CLICK HERE

He had been instrumental in Yorkshire securing a first innings lead of 166 runs, maximum batting points, played magnificent cricket and was a sheer joy to watch.

JAMES BUTTLER at GRACE ROAD

DAY TWO MATCH REPORT

Adam Lyth scored a superb unbeaten 159 as Yorkshire ended day two at Grace Road on 336-5 with a first innings lead of 16. Jonny Bairstow bounced back to his best with 118 as the Tykes tightened their grip on the match.

Yorkshire had lost Joe Root for a duck when he played on a ball that kept low from Nathan Buck and Yorkshire were 6-1. But then Adam Lyth, driving beautifully straight, and Phil Jaques got the scoreboard ticking. 

Jaques rocked back and pulled through deep square to bring up the fifty, in which there hadn't been a single run. That first run one came when Lyth turned the spin of Henderson to deep square to take the score to 54-1.

Lyth cut Henderson through point twice for boundaries in the 20th over, but then Buck was reintroduced from the Bennet End and Jaques (30) top edged a pull straight to Matt Boyce at deep square to reduce Yorkshire to 74-2. Lyth appeared unfazed as he timed Henderson through extra cover for his 7th four.

Buck offered Gale a tasty full toss which the Yorkshire skipper thumped away behind point. Lyth reached his fifty in 76 balls with his 8th four as he flicked Buck fine. A few moments later lunch was taken with Yorkshire 95-2.

Andrew Gale (11) will be kicking himself after smearing a short ball outside off from Henderson straight to Ramnaresh Sarwan at point. Leicestershire sensed a chance and rang the changes to an attacking field after each ball. They also fell for the myth that Jonny Bairstow has a problem with the short ball. Had he not ducked Boyce would have needed a full blooded pull from Bairstow off Wayne White surgically removed from his throat.

Jonny Bairstow reached his fifty from 58 balls with his sixth boundary and was looking like the old Bluey. Undoubtedly talented he provides runs at a pace and as the partnership for the fourth wicket stretched through the 60s Yorkshire were building towards a good position. As Mark Cavendish's dreams of Olympic gold were disappearing on the Mall, Yorkshire's grip on this match was tightening. The Tykes took tea at 207-3 with Lyth unbeaten on 93 and Bairstow 65. Their fourth wicket partnership was worth 95.

Lyth hadn't scored a first-class century since 28 June 2010 when he made exactly 100 against Lancashire at Old Trafford. It was a very responsible knock in the match situation and slow by his standards from 196 balls and included 12 fours. It was great to see a player who has struggled for a big score for so long get back amongst it. Hopefully it will be the start of a successful new chapter in the career of the 24 year-old left-hander.

At the other end Bairstow pulled white for four, nudged through cover for two and then glided the ball off his toes through wide midwicket for another boundary to move to 99. In the next over he pushed Henderson through square leg to go to three figures for the third time this summer from 123 balls which included 13 fours.

It was a dangerous time for Matthew Hoggard's Leicestershire as the pair continued to find batting more than comfortable. Bairstow clipped Thakor for legside fours, Lyth reverse swept Henderson for four more and a few overs later slog swept for a maximum to bring up the 300.

Leicestershire took the new ball after 80 overs and with the third ball with the new cherry Buck got Bairstow's edge and the catch was taken by Greg Smith at first slip. That breakthrough ended a stand of 197 runs in 49.2 overs.

Gary Ballance (1) was lbw to Hoggard's first ball of his spell and Yorkshire were 310-5 after losing two wickets in five balls.

Lyth drove a single to deep cover to equal his career best 142 made against Somerset at Taunton in 2010, but moments later had his crown jewels rearranged by one that nipped back from Hoggard, who surprisingly was most amused. He took a few deep breaths and moved into new territory soon after. Yorkshire edged into a first innings lead as Lyth went to 150.

It didn't take Yorkshire long to claim Leicestershire's final wicket on the second morning. With the ninth ball of the day Azeem Rafiq took a straightforward return catch to dismiss Matt Boyce for 107 with the Foxes 320 all out.

JAMES BUTTLER at GRACE ROAD 

DAY ONE MATCH REPORT

On a pitch that looks good for batting, Yorkshire will be satisfied with their day one Grace Road efforts as Leicestershire closed on 318-9 after winning the toss and taking first hit.

Steve Patterson was Yorkshire's most consistent and successful bowler with 3-54 and it could have been more had two edges off Matt Boyce not gone to ground. Boyce ended the day unbeaten on 106.

After Leicestershire won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that offered few demons, Steve Patterson struck twice with lbws in the morning session as he trapped Greg Smith (20) and Ned Eckersley (4). Smith had scored all of Leicestershire's runs when the first wicket fell at 20-1.

Michael Thornely had taken forty minutes to get off the mark, but did so in hitting three successive boundaries off Moin Ashraf. Steve Harmison had bowled another mixed bag, before producing his best ball in a Yorkshire shirt to york Ramaresh Sarwan (8) and the Foxes were 54-3.

Ashraf was reintroduced to bowl the final over before the lunch interval and with his second ball had Thornely (31) caught behind with a rather limp shot. It was by far the weakest shot the opener had played in his 85-ball stay. The score at the break was 98-4.

The England Lions squad was announced during the morning session and included Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow who will play two 4-day matches against Australia A in August.

Steve Patterson almost grabbed a third scalp when Boyce, on 26, edged to Lyth at second slip, but the chance went begging. Boyce, who scored a century in the reverse fixture at Scarborough in May, was joined by Shiv Thakor in restoring the hosts challenge. 18 year-old Thakor, after making his Championship best 35, was well held by Andrew Gale at short cover off Ashraf to end a fifth wicket partnership of 68. He looks one for the future.

Matt Boyce reached fifty with his sixth four from 117 balls. Wayne White had joined him and he clubbed Rafiq for a six over long-on and then cover-drove the next delivery for four. It had always appeared a decent batting wicket and the Foxes were enjoying a better afternoon and reached tea at 204-5.

The sixth wicket partnership of 60 ended when Wayne White (28) didn't get to the pitch of a Rafiq delivery he was aiming over the top and only succeeded in finding Harmison at mid-on. Harmison returned from the Bennet End and produced another mixed bag, but another wicket when Paul Dixey (6) clipped a ball down leg straight to Phil Jaques and Leicestershire were 239-7.

Yorkshire took the new ball in a bid to get through the tail, but as often happens the pressure eased as the harder cherry sped away.

Patterson had been the best bowler on show and Claude Henderson (26) gifted him his third wicket when he drove on the up and Root held a catch above his head at short cover. Patterson could have had another when Boyce, on 94, edged to a diving Bairstow who could quite wrap his left glove around the chance.

Patterson now has 28 Championship wickets under his belt, the most from a Yorkshire bowler in 2012, and at an average of just 22.60 apiece is enjoying an outstanding summer.

Boyce had ridden his luck, but had shown what was possible with the bat if wielded sensibly. He straight drove Harmison for his 12th four to reach his second century of the season from 221 balls. Without him Leicestershire would have been in real trouble.

Nathan Buck (6) edged McGrath to Gary Ballance at first slip in the penultimate over of the day. Matthew Hoggard survived until close of play and a fascinating encounter continues at 11am tomorrow morning. Yorkshire will be seeking that tenth wicket quickly and there's no reason why they can't score big on this Grace Road surface.

JAMES BUTTLER at GRACE ROAD 

MATCH PREVIEW

After the fun and frolics of the FLt20 quarter-final a confident Yorkshire head to Grace Road with only one thing in mind - getting their LV= County Championship promotion push back on the rails.

Sitting in third place ahead of the game, the Tykes have been frustrated over the last few weeks by a lack of English sunshine.

At a very cold Scarborough in early season the Foxes were beaten by a Yorkshire side that will be now seeking to do the double over the Matthew Hoggard captained side. Hoggy missed the North Marine Road encounter due to injury and will be looking forward to running in against some of his former teammates.

Andrew Gale returns as skipper with Yorkshire sitting 25 points behind Derbyshire and 3 points behind Hampshire respectively. Kent lurk a further 2 points behind the Tykes with a game in hand. Leicestershire however are rock bottom of the Championship table.

Let's hope the rain stays away and the Yorkshire team can at least see the match through to its conclusion. Entry costs just £10 on the day for adults and £1 for under 16s, so get yourselves along to Grace Road if you can and cheer Andrew Gale and the lads on.

JAMES BUTTLER

YORKSHIRE SQUAD

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

LEICESTERSHIRE SQUAD

Thornely, Smith, Eckersley, Sarwan, Cobb, Thakor, Boyce, White, Dixey, Henderson, Hoggard, Joseph, Buck.

Skipper Matthew Hoggard was rested from the defeat to Lancashire in the CB40 to aid recovery from a back injury which saw him also miss the Championship draw with Gloucestershire.