Matthew Hoggard became one of the highest scoring nightwatchmen in Yorkshire's history yesterday when he hit a career-best 89 not out against Glamorgan at Headingley on the final day of the season.

But Yorkshire's decision to bat right to the bitter end - which came with the fall of their final wicket at 286 - was controversial, denying them the slim chance of signing off with a victory that would have lifted them from seventh place in the Second Division table.

The draw, which came when bad light stopped play in the evening gloom with Glamorgan on 55 for one in 15 overs, concluded Yorkshire's worst Championship season since they finished 16th in 1992 before the advent of two divisions.

Had Yorkshire declared at the fall of their ninth wicket at 233, it would have left Glamorgan chasing 225 in a minimum of 40 overs, but by the time Steve Kirby was last out the Welshmen's target had soared to 278 from 27 overs.

Yorkshire's reluctance to make a game of it in no way detracted from Hoggard's patient innings which had earlier gone a long way towards saving his side from defeat.

Coming in at 6.23pm on the third evening with Yorkshire struggling on 101 for four, Hoggard batted throughout the morning session and he was still there at 4.20pm when the innings was wrapped up with the tea interval already put back because the last pair were at the wicket.

Hoggard easily exceeded his previous best effort for Yorkshire of 21 not out and it became a career-best score when he overtook his 38 for England against the West Indies this summer.

In all, Hoggard batted for four hours and 24 minutes during which time he faced 199 balls and struck six boundaries.

Hoggard was on two when Yorkshire began the fourth day on 104 for four, just 95 runs in front, and they soon plunged into serious trouble as Robert Croft had Richard Pyrah caught behind by Mark Wallace who then pulled off a smart stumping to give the off-spinner Ismail Dawood's wicket.

It was a skilful spell of bowling by Croft who had not fielded the previous evening after being struck a fierce blow on the top of his helmet by Hoggard and he spent the night nursing a sore head.

Hoggard then got his head down while Richard Dawson played some spanking shots through the covers to lift Yorkshire and his third half-century of the season came off 76 balls with eight fours but, when he had reached 58 and the stand was worth 85, he flashed at a widish ball from Darren Thomas and was caught behind.

Tim Bresnan soon fell to a nasty lifter from Simon Jones but John Blain stayed with Hoggard while a further 30 runs were added, Hoggard going to his 50 with only his second boundary.

David Harrison bowled Blain to bring in Kirby and Hoggard suddenly broke free, blasting Croft over mid-off for four and smacking Harrison straight back over his head to the fence.

Glamorgan, unable to bowl out Yorkshire, showed their disenchantment with the situation by bringing on drinks at 254 for nine and with 95 overs gone they were forced to take the new ball but it was almost eight overs later that Kirby was eventually lbw to Harrison.

Hoggard was warmly applauded by team-mates and spectators alike, but the fans may have taken a dimmer view had it been Glamorgan who had batted so long without calling it a day.

Yorkshire's up-and-coming young batsman, Joe Sayers, flies out to Australia at the weekend to spend a winter playing for Sydney First Grade club Manly-Warringah.

And during the season the Otley-born left-hander will find himself up against two of his Yorkshire team-mates in Australian Phil Jaques and Andrew Gale who will be attached to other clubs in the competition.

Sayers, 19, who recently started up a highly successful opening partnership for Yorkshire with Jaques, said: "I will be staying in Australia until the end of February and am really looking forward to the experience.

"I am confident that a winter in Australia will help to improve my batting."