Tufnell adds to Yorkshire's misery

So far at Lord's, Yorkshire have not looked remotely like a side that is in the running for the Championship. The bowling lacked control and a series of poor strokes then made what were already outside hopes of victory disappear over the horizon.

In the morning they were held up by John Carr and Keith Brown, who took their sixth-wicket stand to 83. Then, after taking nine Middlesex wickets for 402, Yorkshire had to suffer the irritation of watching Phillip Tufnell score an entertainingly bizarre 30 not out.

When Yorkshire began their innings it was as if the batsmen were all too aware that, if they were to get back into the match, they had to score their runs fast enough to ensure there was time left for them to try and manoeuvre a victory.

In the fifth over of the innings Michael Vaughan cut at a short one from David Follett which lifted too high for the stroke and was caught behind.

David Byas and Anthony McGrath had just brought up the fifty when Byas received a pretty good one from Richard Fay from the Pavilion End. The length drew Byas forward, the ball lifted and left him and he was caught behind.

Tufnell had come on to bowl the 12th over of the innings and wheeled away from the Nursery End for most of the rest of the day. He had an interesting battle with Michael Bevan, who was determined not to let the left-arm spinner settle down.

The score had reached 78 when Yorkshire lost McGrath to a poorly judged stroke. He hooked at a short one from Follett without moving his feet inside the line of the ball and skied a simple catch to square leg.

Tufnell was unlucky not to have won his battle with Bevan who was 27 at the time shortly after this. He beat him in the air and Brown missed the stumping which was not easy with the ball lifting unkindly out of the rough. But 10 runs later Bevan played forward to Tufnell, allowing for turn which was not there and was caught at slip.

After tea, it was hard work for Craig White and Richard Blakey against tight bowling. White was eventually bowled round his legs sweeping at Tufnell, who then held a brilliant catch two-handed above his head at third man when Blakey top-edged a cut against Follett. Of the lower order, only Peter Hartley was able to offer worthwhile resistance.