Leicestershire waste no time

Leicestershire 681-7 dec Yorkshire 342 & 188 Leicestershire win by an innings and 151 runs

Having outplayed the erstwhile Championship leaders from the start, Leicestershire finished the job quite ruthlessly on the old Park Avenue ground yesterday, wrapping up victory in a little over 70 minutes. They were so pleased they practically danced off the field in a back-slapping, high-fiving celebration.

Much of this joy exuded from James Whitaker, under whose leadership they look more competitive, more motivated even than under Nigel Briers, who did not do a bad job himself. It was a particularly special moment for Whitaker, who was born a short journey from here, in Skipton.

"The game against Yorkshire is always the one I look for first when the fixtures come out and to win here as we did is the proudest moment of my career in county cricket," he said.

He contributed substantially to it himself with his 218, the most productive innings of his career, which alongside Vince Wells' double hundred provided the bulk of Leicestershire's enormous total and left Yorkshire no more than the hope they might somehow scrape a draw.

There was still a slight possibility of that yesterday morning, especially after the recent exploits of their lower orders, who have given the Yorkshire card an upside-down look in the last couple of matches. In the first innings here, Darren Gough made a nice half-century to go with his maiden hundred against Warwickshire in the last round, and Richard Stemp also reached 50, for the second time this summer.

But there was no wagging of the tail this time as the five remaining wickets disappeared for the addition of just, although in their defence the pitch was one that had always had something up its sleeve for the bowler.

Gordon Parsons saw off Craig White with lift and movement in his second over of the morning, quickly inducing Richard Blakey to nudge tentatively to second slip and then gaining an lbw verdict against an impatient Gough.

At that moment Parsons had 3 for 0 in 32 balls, during a spell in which he bowled 54 deliveries without conceding a run. He finished with 3 for 40.

His line was much straighter than David Millns, who was safely left alone for much of the time by Michael Bevan, who might have organised a more meaningful resistance had he had more adhesive partners.

His second scoring stroke, cut for four off Millns, made the Australian the first batsman in the country to pass 1,000 first-class runs for the season. But he was left high and dry on 65 as Millns at last located the target and bowled Peter Hartley and then Stemp in two deliveries.