Craig White produced his best bowling burst of the season to have Durham on the rack at Headingley yesterday.
But bad light which shaved 20 overs off the end of the day's play cost Yorkshire the chance to wrap up victory in just two days
Durham were tottering on 148 for seven in their second innings, still requiring a further 48 runs to stave off the innings defeat when play ended.
During the day, the pitch came under the scrutiny of David Bridle, an ECB inspector of pitches. He had been called in by umpires Nigel Plews and Kevin Lyons after 16 wickets toppled on the first day.
Bridle stayed until tea-time before departing but he did not witness anything untoward and it is almost certain that no further action will betaken.
Yorkshire's tail-enders had little trouble as they pushed on the score in the morning to 310 to set up a first innings lead of 196 .
Chris Silverwood and Ian Fisher smashed the ball around, Silver-wood's first seven scoring shots all being boundaries and Fisher later hitting runs off six consecutive deliveries.
But a Durham player took the honours in the form of Yorkshire-born John Wood.
The former Spen Victoria seamer claimed the last three wickets to finish with career-best figures of seven for 58.
"It was very satisfying to achieve this against my home county and also at Headingley where I have not played very often," said Wood.
"I picked up a couple of wickets with deliveries which kept low but I generally put the ball in the right areas."
With the pitch easing out Durham openers Jon Lewis and Michael Gough carefully compiled 74 for the first wicket.
Gough was then caught behind off Ryan Sidebottom's first ball but it was not until straight after tea when Durham were 107 for one that they hit any real trouble.
White started it by clean bowling David Boon and going on to dismiss Jimmy Daley and Paul Collingwood in a dramatic spell which brought him three wickets for 12 runs in 15 balls.
While White was causing havoc, Greg Blewett claimed his first wicket for Yorkshire by trapping John Morris lbw and he went on to york Betts for good measure.
But it was Silverwood who had the stubborn Lewis chopping into his stumps for 74 from 131 balls with nine fours effectively to spell the end of Durham's resistance.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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