91�ȱ�

Yorkshire wore down Middlesex on the final day at Scarborough to secure a convincing 220-run win to boost their chances of a first title since 2001.

The home side declared on their overnight 400-5, a lead of 422.

John Simpson (61) and Chris Rogers (44) led the Middlesex resistance, but Adil Rashid (4-27) and Jack Brooks (3-30) put Yorkshire on course for victory.

The visitors were all out for 201 when Rashid had Tim Murtagh caught by Adam Lyth as Yorkshire regained top spot.

The win - the White Rose county's fifth of the summer - put them five points ahead of Notts and 16 clear of third-placed Somerset, with Middlesex 37 points back in fifth.

Having taken 7-44 in Middlesex's first innings, Ryan Sidebottom was tidy rather than penetrative second time around with the ball swinging less, and it was Brooks who achieved the first breakthrough when he dismissed Nick Gubbins, the first of Lyth's four catches.

The crucial wicket of Australia Test opener Rogers was taken by Steve Patterson soon after lunch, with Lyth again showing a safe pair of hands, and Paul Stirling was lbw to the next delivery.

But Simpson, having denied Patterson a hat-trick, and Eoin Morgan added 71 for the fifth wicket before the latter was caught behind off Rashid after hitting only one boundary in his uncharacteristic 29 off 137 balls.

The final five wickets went in the space of 10 overs, with Simpson ninth to go when he was caught by Kane Williamson off Brooks after batting for almost two and a half hours.

Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie:

"At tea-time I was confident because I thought we had bowled really well in the afternoon session.

"Patterson was brilliant bowling up the hill and to get Rogers and Stirling off consecutive balls was fantastic.

"I also though Rashid bowled beautifully and his pace was the key on that surface.

"It was a very good win and it is nice to be at the top, but there is still a long way to go."

Middlesex head coach Richard Scott told 91�ȱ� London 94.9:

"We said before the day that all we wanted to see from the guys was fight and I think we got that.

"It was disappointing in the end to lose the last five wickets for 22 runs, but they were on a high by then.

"If you look back to the second day, when we were 11-4, the guys have shown a lot of fight and we've taken it to the last hour and couldn't have asked for much more."