Date-stamped : 05 Aug97 - 11:16 Rich pickings produced by Taylor`s seam By Charles Randall at Headingley First day of four: Yorks 163-9 v Northants PAUL TAYLOR`S five wickets in the gloom here yesterday threw down a challenge to Yorkshire in a match unlikely to last its allo- cated duration. Northamptonshire took a grip on affairs, though their satis- faction at the nine wickets to fall might be tempered when they have to bat on the same strip. It was difficult to be sure ex- actly how good a day they had enjoyed. Yorkshire went into the first day very much in the champi- onship title hunt, and victory would take them to a handful of points be- hind Gloucestershire, the leaders who are without a match this week. Taylor and company gloried in the conditions - uneven bounce, seam, swing and persistently murky light - and Yorkshire`s worst fears were realised when Taylor removed their top four, three of them cleanbowled, including Darren Lehmann. Visibility was always a problem, and one could imagine Scott Boswell, a British Universities bowler, having a siren fitted for the batsmen`s benefit, to warn of his imminent arrival at the crease from a lengthy run-up. The light was not the reason for Boswell`s seven no- balls, worth 14 runs, in his nine overs, however, because over-step- ping has become a problem in recent weeks. Taylor produced the sort of swing and penetration with his left-arm seamers that so excited England`s selectors five years ago and launched him on a moderate two-Test career. It was here in Leeds only last week that Mike Smith, another left- armer, made so little impact on his debut, probably striving too hard for nip and losing the swing that made him such a danger on the county circuit. Perhaps the andrenalin rush blocks the relaxed skill that swing- bowlers need. Mark Ilott, of Essex, and Taylor have fit- ted the same left-armer picture, losing their name at the highest lev- el. Yesterday Taylor had Michael Vaughan dropped badly at slip be- fore darting one in through a no-stroke. Anthony McGrath was yorked and David Byas bowled through another defensive stroke. Lehmann, the in-form Australian left-hander, was made to strug- gle in the morning and fatally missed the first ball he faced after lunch. Bradley Parker mixed a season`s worth of playing and missing with some firm strokes when given the chance, until his stumps were splayed by a delivery from Boswell that cut in and kept low. His 26 was the highest score. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Curran proves headache By Charles Randall at Headingley Second day of four: Yorks (166 & 74-0) trail Northants (286) by 46 runs THE DATE known as Yorkshire Day in these parts became Northamp- tonshire`s day as far as cricket was concerned. Little went right for David Byas`s team at Headingley for most of yester- day. In the time Yorkshire took to concede a first-innings lead of 120 wicketkeeper Richard Blakey spent a session easing a migraine attack, Darren Gough rested a sore knee and Darren Lehmann col- lected a nasty-looking blow on the leg while fielding at silly mid-off. Five substitute fielders were used, including the venerable figure of Arnie Sidebottom, manager of county`s academy, and Michael Davies, Northamptonshire`s 12th man. A couple of catches were dropped or missed, and a straight six from Kevin Curran rebounded sharply off the football stand to clat- ter a Yorkshire supporter on the head when, probably, he was already suffering enough. It needed a counter-attack in the evening sunshine by Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath to balance the argument, brightening the picture considerably on an easing pitch. Curran started by treating the bowling with an almost manic aggression before settling in for 63 in only 83 balls, and his never-a-dull-moment tactics seemed to shake Yorkshire off their rhythm. Curran punched runs off his first four balls, including two eight-irons over extra-cover, and cracked his bat in the pro- cess. Later he struck Richard Stemp`s left-arm spin for the six. Northamptonshire lost two early wickets to Byas slip catches, but Rob Bailey steadied his side with 61, a top drawer innings, and by the time he squirted an on-drive fatally to midwicket his team had seized control. David Roberts lived precariously on deflections, pushes and edges in support, no doubt affected by an early blow on the fin- ger by Gough. Yorkshire`s final wicket had been polished off in the day`s first over when Richard Blakey missed the first ball he received to give Paul Taylor a deserved sixth wicket. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Lehmann likely to stay By Charles Randall at Headingley Third day of four: Yorks v Northants YORKSHIRE`S surprising vulnerability against Northamptonshire has given extra edge to the county`s overseas player dilemma. The decision on whether Darren Lehmann should be retained or whether Michael Bevan, his fellow Australian left-hander, should be brought back for a third season is to be made next weekend. There is a strong belief now that Lehmann will return, leaving Bevan to ponder another cruel setback so soon after losing his place in Australia`s Test team against England, especially as he had every reason to believe that Yorkshire would welcome him back. Bevan`s main recommendation would be that Yorkshire ticked over very well last year while he was present in the side, with two se- mi-finals and strong showings in both main tables last year as evidence. Yorkshire are keeping their intentions secret for the moment, but Lehmann`s impact and Bevan`s uncertain availability, plus weakness against short fast-bowling on this tour, will probably per- suade the county against him. Lehmann, undoubtedly the more exciting player to watch, made 48 yesterday, announcing himself with two exquisitely timed cov- er- driven boundaries off Paul Taylor. The Australian`s aggregate for the season clicked up to exactly 1,000 when he fell lbw to Kevin Curran, defeated by uneven bounce on a pitch that had become bland otherwise. Yorkshire, who had been strangely unfocused in this match, jogged carelessly towards probable defeat until Craig White pro- duced some proper resistance. He unfolded some pedigree strokes in his 67 which even had Paul Taylor, a seam-bowling destroyer in the first innings with six wickets, reverted to spin. White and the willing Richard Blakey expanded their sixth- wicket stand to 102, building a much more healthy Yorkshire lead - 203 at tea - than had seemed probable. Blakey should have been dismissed on four, but Russell Warren spilled a routine catch. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Gough has no part By Charles Randall at Headingley Yorks (166 & 332) bt Northants (286 & 176) by 36 runs DARREN GOUGH attends England`s first practice at Trent Bridge today as a doubtful starter for the fifth Test after injuring his knee during Yorkshire`s important success in the championship. The fast-bowler did not take the field at Headingley yesterday after testing his injury in the morning nets, and this withdraw- al, though precautionary, would hardly inspire Test confidence. Against Northamptonshire, Gough`s fire was not missed this time. Craig White produced his best county return, and Yorkshire joined the small pack of clubs trailing behind Glamorgan. Northamptonshire, needing 135 for victory with nine wickets standing at the start, should have won, but Yorkshire took cru- cial ear- ly wickets. White completed a memorable performance with five wickets for 31 opening the bowling, darting the ball in to remove the overnight pair and Kevin Curran. Curran pulled his sixth ball firmly to midwicket, apparently with safety until Gareth Clough, a substitute fielder from York- shire`s academy, swooped for a lovely low catch, which Gough himself might not have reached. The Headingley pitch exemplified the county dilemma, producing a four-day encounter full of interest, yet clearly too slow and variable to accord with expected standards. It was entertaining for spectators and instructive for the batsmen to wriggle out of a lobster pot of spin, but the seam-bowlers could rarely be driven or pulled with safety. In the end the match was not a close as it might have been, especially without Jeremy Snape to bat. His thumb was found to be broken in three places after his attempt to catch a drive by Richard Blakey on Saturday. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)