YORKSHIRE owed a big debt of gratitude to their three left-handers at Scarborough yesterday for giving them a chance of holding out for a draw against Somerset.

Facing the stiff task of making 349 to avoid the follow on, Yorkshire closed on 258 for six, still 91 away from safety, and a lot of hard work remains to be done today if they are to survive.

At 89 for three, a seventh defeat of the season was on the cards but captain Darren Lehmann began the revival with 64 and Michael Lumb and Vic Craven continued the good work with praiseworthy half-centuries which they were unable to convert into anything much bigger.

Craven had particular reason to feel satisfied with his 51 because it was the most accomplished innings he has so far played for Yorkshire and it will have helped to cement his place in the side.

Resuming on 46 for one, the day could not have got off to a worse start for Yorkshire because in the first over Craig White shouldered arms at Matt Bulbeck but was deceived by swing and lost his off-stump.

Bulbeck, who had also dismissed Matthew Wood the previous evening, picked up his third wicket when Anthony McGrath was bowled on the drive and Yorkshire would have been in even deeper trouble if Somerset had not already given Lehmann a life when he was only 11.

The Australian drove too impetuously at Graham Rose and sliced to Peter Bowler at first slip but the fast two-handed chance was put down.

Lumb was quickly into his rhythm and Lehmann struck consecutive mid-wicket boundaries off Keith Parsons on his way to his seventh consecutive 50 for Yorkshire in all forms of cricket.

Somerset continued to bowl well, however, testing Yorkshire with both pace and spin, and it was off-spinner Keith Dutch who ended the 70 stand by taking a return catch off Lehmann whose pad got in the way of his bat as he shaped to drive.

A heavy burst of rain resulted in 22 overs being lost early in the afternoon but on the restart Craven visibly increased in confidence and he soon became more dominant than Lumb who went into his shell.

Craven took two legside fours in one over off Dutch and another firm stroke off his legs brought him a further boundary before he drove Dutch for the first six of his Championship career.

He also produced one of the shots of the day with a gloriously timed cover drive against Rose on his way to his second Championship 50 but Yorkshire were in trouble again as both colts got out in the space of eight overs.

Lumb, whose first 20 had come off 24 balls, was lbw to Ian Blackwell for 57 from 168 deliveries with nine fours, and Craven wafted at a ball from Bulbeck which he should have left alone and was caught at second slip for 51 from 135 balls with six fours and a six.

Yorkshire could afford no more setbacks and Richard Blakey negotiated 17 overs for his unbeaten 12 while Richard Dawson's only scoring shot in nine overs was a boundary. Blakey would have ended the day with 15 but his cover drive was only a couple of yards from the unguarded rope when it hit a pigeon.