McGrath`s defiance sees Yorkshire to a draw

The elements and a fine captain`s innings of 127* by Anthony McGrath prevented Glamorgan from winning their fifth Championship match of the season. Chasing 381 to win in a minnimum of 77 overs on the final day at Colwyn Bay, Yorkshire had collapsed to 89-5 in 33 overs, and with around three hours remaining, it seemed that the Welsh county would be victorious. But indifferent light for the rest of the afternoon prevented the seamers from bowling again, and despite 80 overs of spin from the wily Robert Croft and Dean Cosker, Yorkshire were able to escape with a draw.

Yorkshire were indebted to their captain whose first Championship century of the season was chiseled out in four and a half hours, and together with Richard Dawson, they added 64 in 34 overs for the seventh wicket as Croft was unable to use Micahel Kasprowicz, his main strike bowler, who had already struck twice early in the Yorkshire innings.

The Australian claimed his first wicket with his eighth delivery, as Matthew Wood fell l.b.w, and despite a flurry of boundaries early on from McGrath, three wickets quickly fell after lunch. Cosker claimd Stephen Fleming leg before, before Croft gained the same decision as Michael Lumb departed for a single. Then with the score on 78, Yuvraj Singh, playing his final game for Yorkshire, drove airily at Croft and lobbed the ball to Cosker at cover.

Having made the early inroads with spin, Croft then brought back his quicker bowlers, and Kasprowicz soon struck as Blakey was leg before shuffling across the crease. But with clouds building, and the odd drop of rain falling, the Australian was only able to bowl one more delivery as McGrath and Dawson began their match-saving stand.

McGrath eventually reached his first century of the season, from 202 balls, hitting 16 fours, and the pair survived until mid-way through the final hour, when Dawson, having made a stubborn 22 became the fifth l.b.w. victim of the innings. Chris Silverwood then stoutly defended for 10 overs, but with the light deteriorating further, no further play was possible in the final twenty minutes as the game ended in a draw.

Earlier in the day, Glamorgan had batted on for an hour before setting the visitors their target, and during this time, the Welshmen lost two wickets, including that of Michael Powell for 85, who was bowled by a sharply turning delivery from Dawson, leaving the Glamorgan batsman 20 runs short of his 1,000 runs for the season. Croft was also bowled by Gough, before declaring with David Hemp unbeaten on 85 - his highest score of the summer.