A sparkling double century from Darren Lehmann against Sussex at Arundel yesterday led Yorkshire out of a crisis and into a potentially match-winning situation.

Yorkshire knew that they needed a big innings from their captain if they were to turn the tables on their opponents and Lehmann responded magnificently to the challenge.

When he departed three overs from the close he had plundered 216 out of 350 for four and Yorkshire had turned a first innings deficit of 137 into a lead of 213 which they extended to 220 without further loss.

It was Lehmann's third double century for Yorkshire and his eighth in all and his six hour bonanza was laced with 25 fours and a six and came off 302 balls.

But Lehmann's epic knock - the biggest ever seen on the ground - would never have happened if Yorkshire-born Mark Robinson had not overstepped the crease and sent down a no-ball which Lehmann chopped into his leg-stump when only on 17. Apart from that fortunate moment the Australian did not err again until he was on 125 when he cut hard at Kevin Innes and Tim Ambrose dropped a fast edge to second slip.

Lehmann batted with such sumptuous ease that his score rolled over with the minimum of fuss and only once did he lift the ball off the ground and that was when he planted spinner Mark Davis over long-off for six.

Lehmann could not have turned the tables so dramatically on Sussex, however, without sterling support from the other end and it came from fellow left-hander Michael Lumb who shrugged off recent bad form with a faultless 89 not out which contained ten firmly struck struck fours.

Their stand realised 238 runs and was the 11th highest in Yorkshire's history for the fourth wicket and the best since David Byas and Anthony McGrath put on 272 against Hampshire at Harrogate in 1996.

It was only the second time in this lean season that a Yorkshire pair have managed three figures together, Richard Blakey and Richard Dawson putting on 162 together for the seventh wicket against Kent at Canterbury.

A day which ended in such riches began in rags as Craig White fell lbw to the fourth ball from Billy Taylor and only 14 had been scored when Matthew Wood flashed carelessly outside off-stump at Robin Martin-Jenkins and was caught behind.

Wood has now made only 102 runs in 11 Championship innings and his place in the side must be seriously under threat from either Scott Richardson or Chris Taylor.

Still trailing by 123, Yorkshire were in danger of a crushing defeat but in came Lehmann to begin the revival with McGrath who batted with good common-sense for 33 out of a stand of 98.

Sussex thought that McGrath should have been given out caught at short leg by Richard Montgomerie from Davis's first ball after lunch but the batsman was given the benefit of the doubt.

Not long afterwards there was an identical appeal and this time it was McGrath who looked unhappy with umpire Neil Bainton's decision.

The real Yorkshire fightback now began to take shape and it was late in the day when Lehmann fell lbw to Taylor's slower ball.