Lehmann hits maiden Yorkshire century

Jake Lehmann scored his maiden County Championship century for Yorkshire, but will miss the final round title showdown after being recalled by South Australia to prepare for the Matador Cup.

Lehmann scored 116 in the second innings for Yorkshire but it was not enough for the defending champions to avoid a 10-wicket thrashing at home to title rivals Somerset at Headingley on Wednesday.

Somerset's win, achieved with more than a day to spare, saw Chris Rogers' team close to within a point of second-placed Yorkshire.

Yorkshire play ladder-leaders Middlesex at Lord's next week in a title showdown, but with the London club already four points clear at the top, Yorkshire will be hoping traditional rivals Lancashire can hold out on the final day at Old Trafford.

Image Id: 823249F0256748259C3E1B74B22438B4 Image Caption: Lehmann hit 12 fours in his 190-ball innings of 116 // Getty

Next week's final round of matches will see Middlesex facing Yorkshire at Lord's, but Lehmann will miss the match as he flies back to Adelaide this weekend.

“I am a bit disappointed to be going but cannot do much about it because the (Redbacks) hierarchy want me back," Lehmann told the Yorkshire Post after play.

"I would love to have been at Lord’s with the boys, I have really enjoyed the experience of being with them.

"It was great to score a century but the game is the most important thing and it would have been even better if I had got it and been on the winning side."

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Lehmann emulated his father Darren, the current Australia head coach, in scoring a century for Yorkshire. However, the son has some way to go to match his father's famous feats at the club: Lehmann Snr is one of Yorkshire's favourite overseas imports having scored 8,871 runs in 88 first-class games at 68.76, including 26 centuries and 43 fifites, and led them to the 2001 County Championship title that broke a 33-year drought.

Image Id: 1873B4FBB48A4CA89EA038F64ABECD50 Image Caption: Darren Lehmann sweeps Shane Warne in a 2006 county match // Getty

A proud Lehmann Snr tweeted "What a day" after his son had secured his century, his fourth first-class ton overall.

This season, with 24 points on offer for a win achieved with maximum first-innings bonus points there is still plenty to play for as Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie looks to bow out by guiding the club to a third straight County Championship title before returning home to Australia.

"I thought Jake was outstanding and played a fine hand but we need to improve our batting next season," Gillespie said in the wake of defeat to Somerset.

"When you are regularly 40 for three it puts you under the cosh and some solutions need to be found.

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"Whatever happens at Lord’s next week we will prepare well and try to play our best cricket and be aggressive and positive."

Lehmann made the most of a dropped catch shortly after passing fifty, when a prod forward off spinner Jack Leach went through the hands of bat-pad.

Lehmann batted for nearly five hours, facing 190 balls and hitting 12 fours. He was eighth out, with the Yorkshire score on 263, when lbw to Leach.

But he was one of six Yorkshire batsmen dismissed by Somerset left-armer Leach, who took 6-64 in the hosts' second innings.

Yorkshire had been behind the eight-ball in this match after managing just 145 in their first innings.

Somerset strengthened their position by making 390 in reply, with former England and Australia openers Marcus Trescothick and Chris Rogers contributing 73 and 63 respectively.

Yorkshire avoided the embarrassment of an innings defeat after making 286 second time around, but a target of 42 to win proved no problem for Tom Abell and opening partner Trescothick.