May 06, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1428

LONDON, May 5: Pakistan’s dashing batsman Younis Khan created history for his county Yorkshire on Friday by scoring a magnificent double hundred against Hampshire at Rose Bowl.

Younis had scored a superb 106 in the first innings and was unbeaten at 202 (290 balls) when captain Darren Gough declared the innings at 439-4, with nine overs of penultimate day remaining.

Younis is the first Yorkshire batsman for eight years to score two hundreds in the same match and the first overseas player to ever achieve the feat for the county.

He and wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy (100 not out) put on an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 194 as Yorkshire looked set to maintain their 100 per cent record and extend their lead at top of LV County Championship.

Michael Vaughan watched from dressing room following X-ray showed he suffered an undisplaced fracture to middle finger of his right hand. Shane Warne and Stuart Clark enquired England captain's well being but Hoggard relished chance to frustrate Hampshire's two Australians.

His partnership with Younis was worth 100 when the Pakistan batsman pulled Warne into groundstaffs' tunnel for four. He reached his fifty from 90 balls (five fours) with a single off Clark in the next over.

Hoggard reached his third first-class 50 from 102 balls (six fours) but Hants should have ended partnership at 80-2 - when Hoggard edged Tomlinson to Warne at slip, who dropped. Warne dismissed Hoggard (61) when he edged a sweep to Sean Ervine (186-3).

Younis reached his second hundred of the match from 143 balls by guiding Ervine's medium pace to third-man boundary in 59th over. In hitting 12th four, Younis became the first Yorkshire batsman to score two first-class hundreds in the same match since Vaughan achieved the feat against Essex at Chelmsford in 1999.

But he is Yorkshire's first overseas player to do so, and managed it in only his third championship match. After putting on 59 in 17 overs with Younis, Jacques Rudolph (22) became Clark's third victim when caught by Pothas. Brophy reached 50 from 59 balls when he cut James Bruce to boundary for eighth four.

Younis later reached his next milestone, passing 150 in 241 balls by pulling Tomlinson for his 16th and 17th fours in the next over. He then swept a tired Warne for six over mid-wicket on way to his fourth fifty from just 47 balls.

After more than six hours at crease, he reached a chanceless 200 (288 balls) by cutting Jimmy Adams's medium pace for his 21st four.

Graeme Hick and Ben Smith both struck two fifties each, on the third day against Warwickshire at New Road, but Worcestershire still trail by 171 with seven second-innings wickets left in hand.

In their first innings Hick struck a forceful 91, receiving good support from Smith (50), but there was little resistance from the middle and lower order who collapsed to 288 all out.

Capitulation was in store second time round, too, with Dale Steyn rocking their top-order with two quick wickets. But Hick and Smith again combined to stave off a collapse and remained unbeaten going into the final day.

In Division Two, Charlie Shreck's six wickets for Nottinghamshire rocked Glamorgan at Trent Bridge, dismissing them for 205 to win by an innings and eight runs.

A disciplined display from Northamptonshire's bowlers left Essex limping on 180 for eight on the third day at Northampton. Johan van der Wath (94) and David Wigley (53) took their stand to 110 but, shortly after lunch, Steven Crook removed Alastair Cook for 37 to start Essex's slide, but it was Jason Brown who did the damage with four late wickets, causing a slump in which Essex lost six for 56 before bad light stopped play. Essex lead by just 98.

Cameron White's 138 and good support from Somerset's lower middle-order staved off a slide on the third day against Derbyshire at Taunton, though they went to stumps on 497 for nine, still trailing by a mammoth 304. White's hundred came off 158 balls with 13 fours and a six, and there were fifties for Craig Kieswetter, Wes Durston and Peter Trego.

Tom New fell two short of a fine maiden hundred as Leicestershire conceded a first-innings deficit of 131 on the third day against Gloucestershire at Bristol. Marcus North took 3 for 53, and Steve Kirby 3 for 75, to dismiss Leicestershire for 376. Though the visitors hit back with two quick wickets, Gloucestershire extended their lead to 277.

Scores on Friday:

County Championship (day three of four):

Division One:

At The Rose Bowl: Yorkshire 299 (Younis Khan 106, M.P. Vaughan 72, A. Rashid 54; J.T.A. Bruce 4-56) and 439-4 declared (Younis 202 not out, G.L. Brophy 100 not out, M.J. Hoggard 61); Hampshire 296 (M.J. Brown 105, N. Pothas 70 not out; T.T. Bresnan 4-65) and 16-1.

At Old Trafford: Lancashire (20pts) beat Surrey (5pts) by seven wickets.

Surrey 284 (J.N. Batty 70, A.D. Brown 69, S.A. Newman 60; G. Keedy 4-57) and 120 (G. Chapple 4-40); Lancashire 315 (S.G. Law 120; N.C. Saker 5-76) and 90-3.

At Worcester: Warwickshire 610-6 declared (T.R. Ambrose 251 not out, J.O. Troughton 162, H.H. Streak 66); Worcestershire 288 (G.A. Hick 91, B.F. Smith 50); 151-3 (G.A. Hick 66 not out, B.F. Smith 60 not out).

Division Two:

At Bristol: Gloucestershire 507 (Kadeer Ali 92, M.J. North 86; J. Allenby 5-125) and 146-2 Leicestershire 376 (T.J. New 98, M. Rosenberg 64 not out)

At Northampton: Nottinghamshire (22pts) beat Glamorgan (5pts) by an innings and eight runs.

Essex 334 (A.N. Cook 136, M.L. Pettini 67; S. Crook 4-56) and 180-8 (J.S. Brown 4-26); Northamptonshire 416 (J.J. van der Wath 94, U. Afzaal 66; Danish Kaneria 4-108).

At Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 475 (J.E.R. Gallian 178, S.R. Patel 108, D.J. Hussey 81; A.G. Wharf 4-97); Glamorgan 262 (D.L. Hemp 54, M.J. Powell 53; M.A. Ealham 4-37) and 205 (B. Wright 66 not out).

At Taunton: Derbyshire 801-8 declared (S.M. Katich 221, I.J. Harvey 153, D.J. Pipe 106, A.G. Botha 101); Somerset 497-9 (C.L. White 138, P. Trego 67, C. Kieswetter 63; G.G. Wagg 4-144).—Agencies