Yorkshire fought back admirably yesterday, drawing level with Surrey with two days to go and seven second innings wickets remaining.

There is no more dangerous a customer in Division One of the County Championship than Darren Lehmann and, on yesterday’s evidence, Michael Lumb is also developing into a batsman upon whom the Tykes can depend when their backs are against the wall, which is pretty much all of the time these days. In terms of this contest, much will depend on how long the two can bat this morning.

Although becalmed for a period by Saqlain and Salisbury - which suggests the home side would do well to avoid chasing more than 250 to win - the left-handed pair had added 137 in 28 overs by stumps and were closing in on Yorkshire’s highest fourth wicket partnership against Surrey, set at Bradford in 1965 by John Hampshire and Brian Close.

Lumb’s input was such that he outpaced his more illustrious partner, making an unbeaten 68 off 92 balls with a full array of strokes. The 22-year-old struck 12 boundaries to Lehmann’s ten, including four off Jimmy Ormond’s last two overs. But having made just 24 in his three previous innings against Surrey, the South Australian could not be coaxed out of his shell until the penultimate over of the day, in which he reached fifty in 82 deliveries with the second of three boundaries off Ian Salisbury.

On such a small ground, the visitors must have been pleased to see the back of Adam Hollioake in the second over. But the home side still managed to advance their score by 157 in the morning session, courtesy of some free-hitting from Rikki Clarke and Jimmy Ormond.

Ryan Sidebottom came back well after conceding eleven runs in an over to capture the wicket of Jonathan Batty, who became the second Surrey player this season to perish on 99. The wicketkeeper, who struck 20 boundaries, had batted for 263 minutes and faced 207 balls. His application fully warranted what would have been his third century this year and the first to be recorded in this high-scoring match.

Rikki Clarke then dominated a stand of 47 in eight overs with Saqlain Mushtaq, launching Richard Dawson for six in three successive overs. The 20-year-old, who looks a glaring omission from the provisional squad for this winter’s England Academy with every passing match, went to fifty in 44 deliveries with his tenth boundary - a clean swing through one of his unfavoured scoring areas at cover. But before Clarke could inflict any further damage, he was yorked by Anthony McGrath.

Jimmy Ormond then underlined his qualities as a batsman with an attractive 39 in 22 deliveries, which included two pulled sixes. Having clearly acquired a taste for batting at Canterbury, the former England seamer also punched drives off both feet through extra cover. It needed a spectacular catch by Matthew Wood running back from slip five overs before lunch to dismiss him.

Yorkshire took the new ball just after the break, entrusting it initially to Sidebottom for one over then employing Chris Silverwood from the Pavilion End and David Wigley from the Railway End. Saqlain Mushtaq took the lead past 200 by straight driving the debutant for six. The Pakistani further glanced him for another four before holing out at long-off.

The visitors opening batsmen then recorded their best scores of the summer, putting on 83 before Jonathan Batty claimed three catches in the space of eleven overs.

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