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Yorkshire seeking safety

Author: John Harris
Date: 23/09/2009
Cricket betting

Yorkshire can count on the heroic pair of Matthew Hoggard and David Wainwright after they hit and bowled their side out of the relegation fight in the County Championship ahead of the final round of matches this week.

Hoggard took four wickets, including a hat-trick against Sussex, as the hosts withered to a second innings 83-all-out in Hove.

He dismissed Andrew Hodd, Dwayne Smith and India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla as Sussex lost seven wickets for just 19 runs to hand the tie to Yorkshire.

He also hit 26 from 24 balls with five fours alongside fellow match-winner Wainwright in an important last-wicket stand of 38.

The outcome was hugely frustrating for the home side as they chased 240 for victory and especially for leg-spinner Chawla, who had taken five morning wickets to restrict Yorkshire.

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Wainwright, also with four second innings wickets to add to his five in the first, wrapped up a 156 run win.

Yorkshire have now crept ahead of Lancashire in the league table and are on the brink of safety.

Sussex now sit 15 points from safety going into their final game of the season at Nottinghamshire and a win may not be enough for them to avoid the drop.

South African all-rounder Zander de Bruyn hit 106 from 158 balls to help his Somerset side to safety against bottom side Worcestershire.

Somerset had followed on from their first innings and de Bruyn, aided by compatriot Craig Kieswetter (90), Ben Phillips (84) and Alfonso Thomas (54) helped them to a hard-fought draw.

Hampshire, who make the venture to Yorkshire, are still not mathematically safe from the drop, while fellow strugglers Lancashire host top four side Warwickshire.

Runaway Division Two champions Kent face promotion-chasing Gloucestershire while they, alongside Essex, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan can grab last-gasp honours in a tight finish to the domestic campaign.

Gloucestershire ended 15 short of victory against Glamorgan last week and a draw hasn't improved either of the sides' promotion credentials.

Essex travel to Derbyshire, Northamptonshire host rock bottom Leicestershire and Glamorgan make the trip to Surrey as the season comes to a close.

On another note, Worcestershire must beat champions Durham at New Road if they are to avoid a season without a county championship victory for the first time since 1928.

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