Vasconcelos Century Rescues Northamptonshire Draw Against Yorkshire

Northamptonshire and Yorkshire played out a thrilling draw in their Vitality County Championship match at Wantage Road, with Ricardo Vasconcelos' valiant century ultimately securing a share of the spoils for the hosts.

Yorkshire set Northamptonshire a challenging target of 326 to win in just over two sessions, but Vasconcelos' unbeaten 129, featuring 17 boundaries, kept the home side in the hunt. However, a late fightback from Yorkshire's bowlers, led by Adam Lyth's career-best figures of 4-56, saw Northamptonshire lose eight wickets in quick succession.

Vasconcelos, who had shared a rapid 63-run stand with Karun Nair (36), had to dig deep to ensure his side held out for the draw. The 33-year-old Portuguese batsman showed great character and maturity, guiding Northamptonshire to safety with eight wickets down.

Earlier, Yorkshire captain Shan Masood declared his side's innings on 264 for 6 just before lunch, setting up an intriguing run chase. However, the loss of 17 overs due to rain interruptions ultimately proved too costly for Yorkshire.

The draw leaves both sides winless after seven games, with Yorkshire taking 14 points and Northamptonshire 13.

Tags: #CountyChampionship, #Northamptonshire, #Yorkshire, #RicardoVasconcelos, #AdamLyth