By Geoffrey Dean in The Parks

First day of three: Yorkshire (19-1) trail Oxford University (260-7 dec) by 241 runs

IT LOOKED as though it would be business as usual when Oxford slipped to 116 for five against Yorkshire's first-team spinners and reserve seamers. But instead of the expected rout, the students rallied and kept the pros out in the middle until 6pm.

Leading the resistance with some well-struck blows in his unbeaten 68 was a South African post graduate, David Eadie, who had made nought in his only previous first-class innings. John Claughton also played positively for his 45, but the batsman who provided some much-needed cement for the innings was an Irishman, Jason Molins, who retired hurt when 31 and returned at 195 for six to reach a second successive fifty.

Groundsman Dick Sula deserves praise for producing another fine pitch with excellent carry. The wickets here have been marked very highly all season, and Sula attributes their quality to a new top dressing of Ongar, rather than Surrey, loam. ``The trouble with Surrey loam is that you can reach perfection with it, but if you then narrowly over-roll, it goes dead,'' he said.

Day 3: Fulton finally blessed with good form

By Geoffery Dean in The Parks

Oxford Univ (260-7 dec & 233-8 dec) drew with Yorks (203-4 dec & 209-7)

IT might well be that the Oxford University wicketkeeper Jez Barnes, a trainee clergyman, made a silent prayer for his captain, Jim Fulton, when he walked out to join him at the crease.

Oxford, only 171 ahead, were facing defeat but, more significantly from Fulton's point of view, there seemed little hope he would reverse a woeful run of form this season. Before yesterday, his top score was 14.

Fulton had considered leaving himself out of this game and, having made nought in the first innings, dropped himself five places down the order to No 8.

Perhaps the sight of Barnes coming out made him fearful that the last rites on his season were about to be administered, or perhaps Barnes's benevolent presence and appearance completely relaxed him.

In any event, Fulton reached a forceful 78 in 109 balls. Barnes contributed a plucky 38 as the pair put on 118 to set Yorkshire 291 in just over three hours. After some careless batting on a good pitch, the professionals had to suffer the indignity of batting out the final half hour surrounded by close catchers.