June 04, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

LONDON, June 3: Pakistan star batsman Mohammad Yousuf hit an unbeaten double century in his last game for Lancashire before returning to Pakistan, as the English County Championship match against Yorkshire finished in a draw on Monday.

The chances of a result in the Roses fixture at Headingley all but ended after Sunday’s washout, but Lancashire also ensured maximum batting points.

Paul Horton, who shared 258 with Stuart Law on the same ground last season, equalled the feat with Yousuf, who ended up with 205 – a 381-ball knock featuring 19 fours and one six.

He compiled 152, while Yousuf shared 197 with Steven Croft, who fell four short of a maiden first-class ton. That partnership was also a record, Lancashire’s highest fifth-wicket stand against Yorkshire.

Horton, who resumed on 137, edged an early delivery from Richard Pybus through the slips for four, but finally lost his middle stump attempting a huge swipe at spinner Adil Rashid.

Having waited for his chance as next man in since Saturday afternoon, Francois du Plessis lasted only five balls before he was dismissed for a duck.

Tim Bresnan found some lift and hostility with the second new ball, but despite some occasionally unpredictable bounce in the wicket, the Tykes were unable to make major inroads.

They should have dismissed Croft, however, but Joe Sayers fumbled a chance at first slip off Ben Sanderson.

While Yousuf played in circumspect manner for the first part of his innings, Croft accelerated and scored 32 of his first 38 runs in boundaries.

Already deprived of the bowling talents of Matthew Hoggard, Deon Kruis, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Yorkshire were also missing skipper Darren Gough on the final day.

Scores on Monday:

County Championship (final day of four):

Division One:

At The Rose Bowl: Hampshire (7pts) drew with Kent (12pts).

KENT 431-8 declared (M. van Jaarsveld 133, D.I. Stevens 127, J.M. Kemp 51); HAMPSHIRE 215 (R. McLaren 4-49)

At Whitgift School: Somerset (22pts) beat Surrey (6pts) by eight wickets.

SURREY 326 (S.A. Newman 84, J.G.E. Benning 69, J.N. Batty 58 not out) and 227 (S.A. Newman 91; I.D. Blackwell 4-74); SOMERSET 446 (I.D. Blackwell 158, J.L. Langer 112; J.W. Dernbach 6-72) and 111-2.

At Headingley: Yorkshire (9pts) drew with Lancashire (12pts).

YORKSHIRE 395 (J.A. Rudolph 66, T.T. Bresnan 64 not out, G.L. Brophy 59, S.I. Mahmood 4-89); LANCASHIRE 481-5 declared (Mohammad Yousuf 205 not out, P.J. Horton 152, S.J. Croft 96).

Division Two:

At Gloucester: Gloucestershire (11pts) drew with Warwickshire (10pts).

GLOUCESTERSHIRE 420 (C.G. Taylor 104, C.M. Spearman 95, W.T.S. Porterfield 63; J.E. Anyon 4-86) and 228-8 declared (C.G. Taylor 77); WARWICKSHIRE 410 (T. Frost 144 not out, J.O. Troughton 79, I.J. Westwood 68).

At Lord’s: Middlesex (19pts) beat Derbyshire (4pts) by six wickets.

DERBYSHIRE 244 (D.J. Birch 72, C.J.L. Rogers 63) and 273 (J.L. Clare 57;

T.J. Murtagh 4-70); MIDDLESEX 262 (B.J.M. Scott 66, E.C. Joyce 58; K.J. Dean

4-28) and 256 (O.A. Shah 86, E.T. Smith 74).—Agencies