Yorkshire bat out Roses stalemate

County Championship D1, Headingley: Lancashire 417-9 dec drew with Yorkshire 265 & 177-1 dec

Scorecard

McGrath stood firm for Yorkshire on day four

Joe Sayers more than doubled his 2006 aggregate in one innings as Yorkshire batted out a draw after following on in a rain-ruined Roses match.

Sayers hit an unbeaten 75 and Anthony McGrath 81 not out after the Tykes fell three runs short of the follow-on mark during the morning.

Lancashire prised out Jason Gillespie for 45 to finish off their hosts' first innings for 265.

But Yorkshire were untroubled on 177-1 when both teams agreed a stalemate.

The unbroken century stand between Sayers and McGrath exceeded the 73 put on by Gillespie and Deon Kruis as Yorkshire's best of the match.

Gillespie was tempted into aiming a drive at a Glen Chapple outswinger which he edged to second slip.

Invited to try again, Yorkshire lost Matthew Wood just after lunch as he nicked behind when Kyle Hogg got one to shape away.

But McGrath and Sayers avoided lapses in concentration even though heavy cloud cover continued to threaten bad light and rain.

Lancashire coach Mike Watkinson paid tribute to Gillespie and Kruis for setting up the draw on the third evening.

"If we could have got those two out and enforced the follow-on then it might have been different," he said.

"We didn't really do anything wrong. The way those two defended was a pretty good lesson on how to approach things.

"The wicket was pretty good so to come away with a draw and maximum bonus points is not a bad outcome."