Yorkshire skipper Masood builds lead over Northants
Vitality County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day three)
Yorkshire 362: Lyth 109, Masood 60, Thompson 53; Procter 3-63 & 156-5: Masood 82*
Northamptonshire 301: Procter 116*, Vasconcelos 34; Fernando 4-48
Yorkshire (6 pts) lead Northamptonshire (5 pts) by 217 runs
Shan Masood struck an unbeaten 82 to put Yorkshire firmly in the driving seat at the end of a rain-shortened third day against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
The Yorkshire captain helped to extend the Tykes' lead to 217 runs as they closed on 156-5 in their second innings.
With rain clouds circling throughout the day, Masood seemed intent on building a sizable lead as quickly as possible, clubbing three sixes and eight boundaries to set up an intriguing final day.
Northants' overseas bowler Siddharth Kaul (2-71) was punished when he erred in width but did claim two scalps, including first-innings centurion Adam Lyth for 33.
Play began 15 minutes late due to overnight rain but Ben Sanderson (2-29) took no time to pick up his second wicket of the innings when he enticed Fin Bean to edge behind without scoring in the second over.
Masood was quickly into his work against Kaul before the wet weather returned to force an early lunch but Lyth was then trapped in front just after the restart.
After driving Kaul through midwicket, Masood then targeted the spin of Rob Keogh, but he was gifted a life on 50 when Ricardo Vasconcelos missed a tough diving chance at third slip.
Yorkshire had to call for the physio when Masood was squared up by a delivery from Sanderson and sustained a freak wrist injury.
But he still put on 67 in 17 overs with James Wharton (20), who was lbw to one from Justin Broad before Yorkshire then lost George Hill in the next over when he edged behind off Kaul.
Yorkshire brought up the 150 before heavy rain, accompanied by rumbles of thunder, forced the players from the field to end a day on which just 38.2 overs were possible.
Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network
