Yorkshire went to the Wells too often at Scarborough today as they struggled to 221 for eight at lunch, Leicestershire captain Vince Wells adding three wickets to the two he took yesterday.

Craig White, who hit a brilliant 161 in the first innings, stood on 34 when Yorkshire resumed the third day on 137 for three, 134 runs ahead.

Indian Javagal Srinath's first ball was turned to long leg for two by White but the next delivery floated away from the batsman and took the edge for Neil Burns to hold an easy catch.

It was a big blow to Yorkshire's hopes of gaining a third consecutive Championship victory in their attempt to avoid relegation but nightwatchman Ryan Sidebottom and fellow left-hander Michael Lumb steadily improved things.

Sidebottom looked far from a No 11 batsman when he stood up in the crease and square drove a ball from Devon Malcolm for four but for most of the time he was content to defend his stumps.

Lumb, in need of a good score with contracts looming, struck Malcolm neatly through the legside for four and he ran three with a similar stroke before cover driving the former England bowler to the boundary.

The game remained very much in the balance but at 165 for four Yorkshire needed a lot more runs yet to feel that they held the upper hand.

Four of them came when Srinath attempted a slower ball which Lumb spotted and sent racing to the cover boundary but off the last ball of the same over he fished outside off-stump and was lucky not to make contact.

The first bowling change was made after 50 minutes when Phil DeFreitas replaced Malcolm at the pavilion end and his first ball was a yorker which Sidebottom did well to dig out. He second moved away from Sidebottom who edged a drive into the slips where he was caught by Darren Maddy and Yorkshire were 171 for five.

Yorkshire were still second favourites at this stage and Gary Fellows was a long time settling in before swinging Malcolm to the mid-wicket boundary as the total went to 181 for five. But two runs later, Lumb got out carelessly. He drove casually outside off-stump at Wells and Maddy held his second catch at second slip.

Wells claimed his fourth wicket of the innings at 194 as Fellows dragged a ball into his off-stump and it became five when Richard Dawson was caught behind.

The slide was temporarily halted by captain Richard Blakey and Andy Gray who had added an unbroken 23 together by lunch.