Yorkshire's hopes of ending their Championship season with a home victory were virtually destroyed at Headingley yesterday by Kent seamer Martin Saggers who made them follow-on 181 runs in arrears.

They then made a shocking start to their second innings and were 13 for one when bad light lopped off the last nine overs of the day.

Saggers went into the game as the country's leading wicket-taker with 77 first-class dismissals and he added to his tally with four for 44, including Yorkshire's first two first innings wickets in the space of ten balls.

If Yorkshire, as is almost certain, fail to win the match, it will be only the fifth time since the formation of the club in 1863 that they have gone through a whole season without a home win.

Although Kent were well on top at the start of the second day, it began favourably for Yorkshire with the dismissal of Australia's captain Steve Waugh, who added only ten to his overnight 136 before Steven Kirby had him caught behind attempting to cut. His chanceless knock contained 19 fours and a six and came off 249

balls.

James Tredwell continued to bat well until he was also undone by Kirby for 61 and a good strong spell by Ryan Sidebottom finished off Kent for 399, so leaving them one run short of a fifth batting bonus point.

Yorkshire were left with six overs to bat up to lunch and they staggered in on 20 for three, Scott Richardson departing lbw to the third ball from Saggers who had Matthew Elliott caught behind with an unplayable delivery which lifted and left the Australian.

Michael Lumb impetuously sliced Amjad Khan's final ball before the break into the hands of Min Patel at gully and early in the afternoon it became 54 for four when Anthony McGrath edged Saggers to Paul Nixon, the wicketkeeper having spilled a chance off the same batsman in Saggers' previous over.

Richard Blakey, needing 55 runs to complete 1,000 for the season, but the captain was lbw to Mark Ealham for only two.

Craig White once again made batting look easy and he hit some blistering shots on his way to 62 with 11 boundaries but then Saggers came back and his first ball flattened the England all-rounder's off-stump.

There were some good shots, too, from Fellows who did not look greatly trouble by his injury but he spoiled himself by hooking indiscriminately at Khan to be caught at long leg by David Masters.

Sidebottom batted fluently for his 28 and Richard Dawson thoroughly deserved a half-century but in trying to reach it with a boundary he was bowled sweeping at Patel and Yorkshire's resistance had ended.