Yorkshire's mood was as dark as the weather at Headingley when rain and murky light allowed only 23.5 overs to be bowled on the third day of the Championship match against Sussex.

But there was still sufficient time for Yorkshire to lose their last four wickets for 21 runs and they were asked to follow-on needing to make 219 to avoid an innings defeat.

When the gloom closed in again with four overs of a miserable day remaining, Matthew Wood and Craig White had guided them to eight without loss from seven overs.

It was the first time Yorkshire had follow-on since they were forced to do so by Durham at Headingley two years ago.

Around 1,000 schoolchildren who had been invited to the ground sat through a blank morning session and Yorkshire were 91 behind when they resumed after lunch on 195 for six.

Richard Blakey's cover drive off Robin Martin-Jenkins raised the 200 and brought a solitary batting bonus point but without addition Gavin Hamilton failed to withdraw his bat to an inswinger from James Kirtley and was caught.

Another stoppage cost a further 34 overs, but as soon as play resumed Blakey went to his third half-century of the season before Chris Silverwood was well caught at third slip by Richard Montgomerie while attempting to force Kirtley off the back foot.

Batting remained difficult and Blakey was lbw to Martin-Jenkins for 52 after taking 24 balls to make his last two runs. A short break soon followed and Ryan Sidebottom was then last out at 216 to give Kirtley season-best figures of five for 49.

Yorkshire Phoenix will be out to bait top-of-the-table Warwickshire Bears in the Norwich Union League clash at Headingley tomorrow.

If Yorkshire win, it will leave them level on points with the Division One leaders and also bring them their first victory of the season in any competitive match at Headingley.

Yorkshire have not been panicked into mass changes after their poor start to the season and Australian Simon Katich would love to hit a century tomorrow in his penultimate match for Yorkshire before Darren Lehmann returns.

Katich will play in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy fourth round tie against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road next Wednesday before leaving.

Scoreboard

Yorkshire v Sussex

At Headingley.

Overnight: Sussex 435 (T R Ambrose 149, M J Prior 83). Yorkshire 195-6 (A McGrath 71).

Yorkshire First Innings

R J Blakey lbw b Martin-Jenkins 52

G M Hamilton c Prior b Kirtley 11

C E Silverwood c M'tgomerie b Kirtley 6

S P Kirby not out 2

R J Sidebottom c Yardy b Kirtley 0

Extras (b4 lb7 w2 nb2 pens 0) 15

Total (92.5 overs) 216

Fall: 1-32 2-32 3-36 4-98 5-104 6-176 7-201 8-213 9-215

Bonus Pts: Yorkshire 4 Sussex 8

Bowling: Kirtley 27.5-9-49-5. Martin-Jenkins 25-13-47-2. Taylor 19-8-37-1. Yardy 7-1-29-0. Innes 12-4-35-2. Davis 2-0-8-0.

Yorkshire Second Innings Close

M J Wood not out 5

C White not out 2

Extras (lb1 pens 0) 1

Total 0 wkts (7 overs) 8

To Bat: M J Lumb, S M Katich, A McGrath, V J Craven, R J Blakey, G M Hamilton, C E W

Silverwood, R J Sidebottom, S P Kirby.

Bowling: Kirtley 4-3-4-0. Martin-Jenkins 3-1-3-0.

Umpires: M J Harris and D R Shepherd