Byas may miss rest of season through injury

David Byas' hopes of leading Yorkshire to the County Championship title this season could be dashed by injury. The skipper suffered a torn cartilage while batting against Somerset at Taunton and faces the prospect of an operation next week.

There was immediate concern when Byas, who had made two, staggered away from his stumps, having evaded a short ball from Peter Trego in the afternoon session.

He was clearly in a lot of pain and after limping off went straight to hospital where the extent of the damage became apparent.

Now Byas faces a scan on Monday and the probability of surgery soon afterwards. He has not yet been ruled out for the season, but there are fears that could prove the case.

The incident marred a sound Yorkshire reply to Somerset's 359, with telling contributions from Vic Craven, Anthony McGrath, Darren Lehmann, Simon Guy and Ian Fisher.

Lehmann became only the second player this season to reach the 1,000-run landmark. Needing 56 to get there, the Australian was on precisely that score when bowled off an inside edge by Trego, aiming a wild swing.

That mistake almost proved costly to Yorkshire, who had cruised to 165-2, with McGrath recording his first half-century of an injury-hit season.

After Byas was injured a flurry of wickets saw them nosedive to 201-6 and Somerset sensed the chance of a major first innings lead.

It never came about because left-hander Fisher and wicketkeeper Guy counter-attacked intelligently in a seventh-wicket stand of 92 that featured some of the brightest batting of the day.

Guy, 21, making his Championship debut, had caught the eye with his glove-work and busy style in the Somerset innings and continued in the same vein with a chirpy innings of 42.

The equally impressive Fisher went on to make a career-best 68 not out, off just 83 balls, with 12 fours and a pulled six off medium-pacer Keith Parsons. By the time last man Matthew Hoggard was out Fisher had guided Yorkshire to 327, only 32 runs behind, and left a draw as the only conceivable outcome on the final day.

Somerset's attack, lacking their spearhead Andy Caddick, again had to toil for every success on a typical Taunton pitch that was lively, but true.

It might have been different if Mark Lathwell had clung onto a gully catch offered by McGrath off Graham Rose when the batsman had made only a single. But the ball bobbled out when the diving fielder hit the deck. McGrath went on to hit 12 boundaries in his 74 before falling to an Ian Blackwell long-hop that he somehow contrived to hammer straight back into the bowler's grateful hands. McGrath stood transfixed as though he couldn't believe the opportunity of a century had been passed up in such profligate manner.

Somerset were left with seven overs to bat before the end of the day and attacked them with zest as Lathwell and skipper Jamie Cox posted 33-0 to extend the lead to 65.