Rain came to Yorkshire's aid during the tea interval on the last day of their LV County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Headingley Carnegie, and the game ended in a draw. Nightwatchman Steven Patterson, above, batted through the morning to keep the visitors at bay.

By tea Yorkshire had battled valiantly for half-an-hour short of five full sessions to reach 406-8 and go 39 runs ahead of the visitors - who were, perhaps, left to rue their decision not to declare much earlier than they did. Nottinghamshire's 11 points from the draw leap-frogged them above Yorkshire and into top place in the Division 1 table, but staving off defeat left Andrew Gale's men still very much in the title race with four games to play.

Patterson was unbeaten on 25 off 106 balls at lunch when Yorkshire were 325-4, still 42 from avoiding the innings defeat. After yesterday’s heroic resistance Yorkshire resumed on 272-2 with Anthony McGrath on 78 and Patterson three, but McGrath had added only two to his score when  Pattinson had him caught behind.

McGrath was forced to depart 20 runs short of both his century and the completion of 1,000 First Class runs for the season. Skipper Gale joined Patterson, who showed excellent defensive qualities, and it was slow going at both ends as Yorkshire showed a marked reluctance to take any chances.

The morning was over 90 minutes old before Patterson stabbed down on a ball from Ryan Sidebottom, which went to third-man for the only boundary off the bat in the session. Gale was as wary as Patterson, and he had been in for 82 minutes and 73 balls for 14 when he appeared to strike his foot with the bat - the ball going to Sidebottom for a return catch.

Jonny Bairstow managed to keep Patterson company up to lunch, when 53 runs had been squeezed out of 30 overs during the morning. Yorkshire's defiance continued throughout the afternoon - they also lost four wickets, but at least they managed to knock of the arrears to ensure that Nottinghamshire would have to bat again.

Patterson's vigil lasted until 10 minutes after lunch, when a ball from Samit Patel looped off his bat and pad to Mark Wagh at silly point. The nightwatchman departed for a gallant 26 from 116 balls with one boundary during his 146-minute occupation of the crease.

Bairstow was bowled by Pattinson driving down the wrong line to make it 333-6, but Gerard Brophy and Adil Rashid both played some fluent shots through the covers to frustrate Nottinghamshire still further and wipe out the deficit. They added an invaluable 62 in 21 overs for the seventh wicket before Brophy fell to a splendid ball from Sidebottom which left him late to find the edge on its way to wicket-keeper Chris Read.

Yorkshire suffered another blow off the ball before tea when Ajmal Shahzad was caught low down at third-slip by Adams to bring Sidebottom his third wicket. Rashid was 34 not out at tea with Yorkshire 406-8 and leading by 39. It started to rain during the interval: it took a while to clear, and by then it was too late for the groundstaff to be able to do their work. The match was abandoned at 5.10pm.

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MATCH INFORMATION

DAY THREE REPORT

Yorkshire staged a recovery of epic proportions on Day 3 of their top-of-the-table LV County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire at Headingley Carnegie - thanks to a 211 stand for the second wicket between Jacques Rudolph, 141, above, and Anthony McGrath, who remains unbeaten on 78.

Yorkshire began their second innings needing 367 to make Nottinghamshire bat again, but by the close they had advanced to 272-2, only 95 runs in arrears and with a good chance of going on today to save the match.

Nottinghamshire rushed their first innings on to 545-7 before declaring on the third morning. Adam Lyth and Jacques Rudolph replied positively as Yorkshire attempted to save the match - but at 58 Lyth fell to a brilliant catch by Andre Adams at gully. The total had moved on to 73-1 by lunch, which was taken a few minutes early because of a light shower.

Nottinghamshire closed on 497-6 last night, but they decided to bat on and inflict more punishment on Yorkshire - adding 48 in just over 20 minutes before the declaration.

Paul Franks was splendidly caught on the boundary edge by Jonny Bairstow off Ajmal Shahzad for 61 from 68 balls with 10 fours and a six - but there was no containing David Hussey, who finished unbeaten on 251 off 250 deliveries with 29 fours and three sixes.

Not only was Hussey’s grand effort the highest individual score for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire, but it was the highest by a visiting county batsman at Headingley - overtaking 235 by Allan Lamb for Northamptonshire in 1990 and by Mark Ramprakash for Middlesex five years later.

With almost two full days in which to try to save the match, Yorkshire needed a good start, and it was provided by Lyth and Rudolph - who did not field this morning as a precaution after suffering a bang on his finger while fielding yesterday. Rudolph edged Ryan Sidebottom through the slips for four, but Yorkshire progressed to 45 without loss in nine overs before Paul Franks replaced Darren Pattinson at the Kirkstall Lane end.

It was Franks who brought about Lyth’s unfortunate downfall when the left-hander drove hard outside off-stump and got a thick edge to gully - where Adams flung out his arm to complete a breathtaking left-handed catch. Lyth had compiled 37 from 42 balls with seven fours, and it was left to Rudolph and Anthony McGrath to take Yorkshire to lunch.

Rudolph was in glorious form in the afternoon, and with McGrath giving the South African solid support Yorkshire showed the sort of fighting spirit their fans had hoped to see.

Rudolph glided past the 38 he needed to follow Lyth to 1,000 First Class runs for the season - and he went to his half-century by whacking a full toss from Samit Patel through the covers for his ninth boundary.

He continued to dominate the bowling - and he raced to his century off 155 balls with 17 fours, but in the following over from Patel he tried to cut and Alistair Brown put down the catch at slip. Tea arrived with Yorkshire 196-1, Rudolph 104, McGrath 45 and the second-wicket stand worth to 138.

The stand had passed 150 when McGrath completed his unhurried 50 off 157 balls with five fours - but it was  broken on 211 in 73 overs soon after Nottinghamshire had taken the new ball: Ruddolph, who had stroked 19 fours off 251 balls, sliced a drive at Darren Pattinson for Adams to take another fine catch at gully, this time two-handed moving to his right.

Steven Patterson successfully carried out his duties as nightwatchman, and McGrath, despite being struck a painful blow on his already damaged hand by Sidebottom, also survived until the close. He will resume this morning needing 22 for a century that would take him to 1,000 First Class runs for the season.

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Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

DAY TWO REPORT

Adil Rashid captured his 50th First Class wicket of the season, but it was a rare moment of success for Yorkshire on a day when they were put to the sword by David Hussey, above, as Nottinghamshire took complete command of the LV Championship match at Headingley Carnegie.

The Australian ended the second day on 222 not out - and helped to smash several records while Nottinghamshire were marching towards a close-of-play score of 497-6 and a formidable first-innings lead of 319. Earier, Yorkshire were unable to staunch the flow of runs from Hussey and Samit Patel when play began at 1.30pm with 21 overs lost to rain.

They took their stand to a record 184 before Patel on 96 became Rashid’s 50th First Class victim of the season. It was Nottinghamshire’s best for the fourth wicket against Yorkshire - beating the 169 by Willis Walker and Arthur Staples at Bramall Lane in 1931.

Nottinghamshire resumed on 147-3, with Patel, 37, and Hussey, 35, keen to make up for lost time. The Australian went straight on to the attack by scoring heavily against Ajmal Shahzad, who had to be rested after two overs had cost him 15 runs.

Hussey completed his half-century off 53 balls with eight fours, and the run spree continued against Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Steven Patterson before David Wainwright joined the attack and was straight driven for four and six by Hussey in an over which cost 18.

Patel’s 50 came off102 balls with eight fours, and he had added 13 to his overnight score while Hussey was making 53. A fumble by Wainwright when he ran up to the wicket to take a return from Anthony McGrath gave Hussey a possible escape on 93, and there was a life for Patel on 76 when he hooked Hannon-Dalby to Shahzad who misjudged it at long-leg.

Hussey’s century, his fourth in his last five matches against Yorkshire, came off 106 deliveries with 14 fours and a six, but he finally lost Patel at 281 - the batsman getting a thick edge to an intended drive for Jacques Rudolph to pull off a smart one-handed catch at slip.

Hussey, partnered by skipper Chris Read, remained very much in charge, and at tea he had 148 out of 327-4, with 180 dashed up during the afternoon in 38 overs,  Rashid being the only wicket-taker. Hussey continued his onslaught after tea as Nottinghamshire built up a substantial lead, and his next landmark was his 150 from 149 balls with 21 fours and a six.

Hannon-Dalby could not hold on to a stinging return catch when Hussey was 168, but soon afterwards Yorkshire stuck twice in as many overs to pick up an unexpected second bowling point: Read was caught at backward-point by Rashid off Shahzad for 42 to end a 114 stand in 28 overs, and Alistair Brown had his stumps knocked back by Patterson. 400-6.

There then developed an unbroken partnership of 97 between Hussey and Paul Franks - Hussey went to his double-century from 208 balls with 26 fours and a six, while Franks was unbeaten on 53 with nine fours and a six, his last three boundaries coming in the day's final over from Adam Lyth.

Hussey's 222 beat Nottinghamshire's previous highest against Yorkshire of 220 not out by Tim Robinson at Trent Bridge in 1990, while 497-6 was their best team effort - overtaking the 492-5 declared at Sheffield in 1949.

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Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

DAY ONE REPORT

Championship leaders Yorkshire struggled to 178 all out after winning the toss against second-placed Nottinghamshire at Headingley Carnegie, and the visitors were in a strong position on 147-3 at the close of Day 1 - only 31 runs behind.

Yorkshire chose to bat first on winning the toss, but they found batting a constant struggle in conditions which assisted pace and swing. They limped in to lunch on 89-5 after leaving out paceman Tino Best, and including left-arm spinner David Wainwright.

Things went wrong right from the start: Yorkshire lost left-hander Adam Lyth in the first over from Ryan Sidebottom as he edged the fifth delivery into the gloves of wicket-keeper Chris Read. The score was five when Jacques Rudolph was needlessly run out at the non-striker’s end: he set off for a run, but Anthony McGrath did not respond and Alistair Brown had time to pick up and run in to whip off the bails.

Skipper Andrew Gale - who may have survived an early chance to Read off Darren Pattinson - took two fours off him in the same over. He looked in fine form until Paul Franks trapped him lbw for 24 with his second ball.

It was left to McGrath and Jonny Bairstow to help Yorkshire to recover from 36-3, and the situation improved as McGrath took three fours in an over off Andre Adams with two off-drives and a fierce shot through mid-wicket.

The fourth-wicket pair added 46 in nine overs before McGrath departed for 29 off 62 balls with four fours - his thin edge against Adams being held by Read - and Adams struck again shortly before the interval when he bowled Gerard Brophy, Bairstow going in to lunch on 22 and with much now resting on his and Adil Rashid’s shoulders.

Yorkshire faced more problems with pace and swing after lunch. They fought hard to stage a comeback, but still lost wickets at regular intervals. It became 104-6 when Rashid walked into a drive and was lbw to Pattinson. Bairstow struck three glorious fours in an over off Pattinson, but a ball from Sidebottom flicked his off-stump and he left for 45 out of 137-7.

Ajmal Shahzad had moved to 17 when he nicked Franks into Read's gloves, but Wainwright and Steven Patterson worked hard in a 32 stand for the ninth wicket which ended when Patterson was lbw to Samit Patel - who wrapped up the innings on 178 in his next over by dismissing Oliver Hannon-Dalby in similar fashion, leaving Wainwright unbeaten on 20.

Yorkshire picked up their first wicket at 22 when Alex Hales had a wild swish outside off-stump at Patterson, and Brophy took an excellent catch diving to his right. Matt Wood maintained his bright start to the Nottinghamshire reply, but Mark Wagh laboured for 35 balls over four before Hannon-Dalby bowled him with one which nipped back. 52-2.

Wood leaned into an off-drive to reach his half-century - and he had made 59 off 77 balls with seven fours when he was lbw to Patterson. David Hussey came in at 97-3 to feature in an unbroken stand of exactly 50 for the fourth wicket with Patel, who ended the day on 37 to his partner's 35.

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Live Pictures From Headingley Carnegie: VAUGHN RIDLEY

PREVIEW: Yorkshire have a golden opportunity over the next four days to put clear space between themselves and title rivals Nottinghamshire.

Andrew Gale will lead his team out at Headingley Carnegie and has stated in the media that he wants his young side to 'enjoy the ride' at the top end of the LV= County Championship Division One table.

YORKSHIRE SIDE

Adam LYTH, Jacques RUDOLPH, Anthony McGRATH, Andrew GALE (capt), Jonathan BAIRSTOW, Gerard BROPHY (wk), Adil RASHID, Ajmal SHAHZAD, David WAINWRIGHT, Steve PATTERSON, Oliver HANNON-DALBY, Tino BEST and Richard PYRAH.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SIDE

Samit PATEL, Alex HALES, Mark WAGH, David HUSSEY, Matt WOOD, Ali BROWN, Chris READ (capt/wk), Paul FRANKS, Darren PATTINSON, Andrew ADAMS, Charlie SHRECK, Ryan SIDEBOTTOM, Luke FLETCHER and Graeme WHITE