YORKSHIRE worked their way into a strong position after reducing Worcestershire to 126-4 before bad light stopped play with 27 overs left at Headingley yesterday.

Rain further delayed the start of play today.

A superb unbeaten 173 from Anthony McGrath enabled Yorkshire to reach 317, a slender first-innings lead of nine runs in the Frizzell County Championship Division Two match.

Worcestershire then returned to lead by 117 runs going into today.

Earlier, Richard Dawson joined McGrath with Yorkshire in trouble on 190-7, the eighth-wicket pair adding 87 before Dawson was struck on the right hand by a short Shoaib Akhtar ball.

Dawson was taken to hospital and an X-ray revealed a broken knuckle bone.

Mark Cleary helped McGrath put on a further 36 before being caught by Graeme Hick at point off Gareth Batty, who then had last man Deon Kruis taken at slip in the same over.

McGrath dominated the bowling from the the first over and when he ran out of partners had thrashed 22 fours and three sixes from 176 deliveries.

He dashed to his century off 85 balls by driving Nadeem Malik over cover for six and went to 150 by hooking Shoaib into the crowd. Kabir Ali finished with 4-79 and Nadeem 3-71.

Worcestershire were eager to make quick progress in their second innings but lost three wickets in Kruis' new ball nine-over spell for 39 runs. Chris Gayle drove Kruis straight to Craig White at cover and the South African paceman had Stephen Moore snapped up at third slip by McGrath. It became 74-3 when Hick departed for 27.

Vikram Solanki and Steven Davies steadied Worcestershire with a 52-run stand in nine overs before Davies was run out by Joe Sayers' direct hit.