YORKSHIRE kept up their promotion push yesterday with an excellent victory over leaders Sussex at Scarborough.

The hosts were always on top in this Vitality County Championship Division Two clash, and they survived an at-times nervy chase of 103 on the final day to win by four wickets.

Adam Lyth showed his experience at the top of the order with a well-made 40, with young Will Luxton and skipper Jonny Tattersall there at the end to see Yorkshire over the line.

Sussex batted first having been inserted by Yorkshire and quickly found themselves 14-2, only for opener Daniel Hughes (53) to wrestle back some control for the visitors.

But his dismissal led to another collapse, as the leaders slid to 134-6.

In the end Sussex were indebted to a superb 86 not out from Tom Alsop, who dragged his side to 189 all out.

Matt Revis (3-38) and Jordan Thompson (3-46) stood out with the ball for Yorkshire, with all five home bowlers taking at least a wicket apiece.

James Wharton scored 40 early on in Yorkshire’s reply, before Will Luxton (59) and England international Jonny Bairstow (57) put the hosts in control with a fourth-wicket partnership of 90.

Jonny Bairstow was a popular tourist attraction at Scarborough, and he repaid the watching public with a fine half-century in Yorkshire's first innings.Jonny Bairstow was a popular tourist attraction at Scarborough, and he repaid the watching public with a fine half-century in Yorkshire's first innings. (Image: SWpix.com)

Useful contributions down the order from Revis (34) and Thompson (44no) propelled Yorkshire to a solid first innings total of 326, giving them a healthy lead of 137 at the halfway stage.

Alsop stood out once more when Sussex batted again, making 61, while keeper John Simpson produced a real captain’s knock, scoring 67.

But with Ben Coad running riot at the end of the innings to finish with figures of 5-69, Sussex were dismissed for 239.

Yorkshire quickly slipped to 18-2 on the penultimate evening, but nightwatchman Dan Moriarty (17) battled hard on the final morning, putting on 51 with Lyth for the third wicket.

They both fell in quick succession, before James Wharton (18) helped reduce the target to single figures.

He and Bairstow, the latter for a duck, were dismissed with the end in sight, but those wickets came too little, too late to save Sussex.

With Middlesex beating the clock yesterday evening to see off Northamptonshire by eight wickets, Yorkshire remain just outside of the promotion places.

But they are just three points behind Middlesex and nine off Sussex, and they face the former at Headingley later this week.

If the hosts can win that seemingly pivotal affair, it will put them on the brink of a return to Division One.