The England coach Duncan Fletcher was an interested spectator at Headingley yesterday, but the performance of the third Test candidates must have left him unimpressed.

Even Darren Gough's late burst of three wickets in four balls did little to cheer him.

And Yorkshire's fans also went home in the same uneasy frame of mind after the CricInfo County Championship leaders came off second best against their old rivals, who closed the day on 358 for nine after winning the toss.

Lancashire looked even more firmly in charge at the 100-over stage when they were 346 for six with just four overs of the day remaining, but Gough was then thrown the new ball with spectacular results.

His first delivery was hit straight to cover by Warren Hegg, and his second bowled Pet-er Martin. Spen Victoria's John Wood staved off the hat-trick and scrambled a leg bye, but Glen Chapple was dismissed next ball when Anthony McGrath took a catch at third slip.

Gough's burst at least brought some cheer for the 3,750 spectators who were complaining about the cramped conditions at the ground, which was filled almost to capacity because the new West Stand and the bowling green bank of seats were out of commission.

Work continues on the West stand in readiness for the grand opening by John Major on the eve of the fourth Test, while the bowling green seats had to be left unoccupied because temporary hospitality facilities for the Test were being erected behind them.

Fletcher had joined the crowd hoping to see Gough and Craig White in much improved bowling form, but he would have been disappointed.

He was also deprived the chance to pass an opinion on Chris Silverwood, who dropped out because of his back strain.

Fletcher received no greater satisfaction out of watching Lancashire bat because Atherton made only 17 and Andy Flintoff was dismissed for 12.

The only player on view who looked Test-class was John Crawley, who hit a fine 73, and although Joe Scuderi, Chris Schofield and Hegg all made substantial contributions, they are not on Fletcher's hit list.

With Silverwood unfit and Gavin Hamilton not selected, it fell upon Steven Kirby to share the new ball with Gough, and he was soon upstaging England's star bowler.

Kirby bowled Mark Chilton before he had scored and struck again at 35 when Atherton's intended drive was caught at slip by Matthew Wood.

Flintoff also fell to a catch in the slips when he edged a rising delivery from Ryan Sidebottom to make it 63 for three, but after that Yorkshire's bowling went into general decline as Crawley and Scuderi rattled up 75 in 17 overs, and Hegg and Schofield added 115 for the sixth wicket.

CRICKET SCORES

Second Test (second day of five)

Harare: Zimbabwe 131, West Indies 126-2 (Chanderpaul 74no)

CricInfo Championship

(second day of four) Division One

Grace Road: Leicestershire 378-7 (Habib 153, Smith 111, Burns 53no) v Kent.

Northampton: Northamptonshire 378-3 (Hussey 200no, Loye 52) v Essex.

Taunton: Glamorgan 169 (Maher 62, Caddick 5-84) v Somerset 246-3 (Burns 81, Bowler 63no).

Division Two

Derby: Nottinghamshire 478-6 (Morris 170, Afzaal 138) v Derbyshire

Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 415-5 (Taylor 140, Snape 100no, Barnett 79) v Sussex

Lord's: Middlesex 326-7 (A J Strauss 176, Hutton 76no) v Durham

First U-19 One-Day International

Hove: England 142-9, West Indies 143-8 (Smith 75). lWest Indies won by 2 wkts