Only Darren Lehmann would appear to stand between Somerset and a crushing Cricinfo Championship victory over Yorkshire at Headingley on the fourth and final day tomorrow.

Set to make a challenging 354 to win, Yorkshire were at one stage reduced to 30 for three as Somerset paceman Andy Caddick again showed his England class.

But Lehmann refused to let Yorkshire's precarious situation inhibit him in any way and by the close he had smashed 53 out of 96 for three in 20 overs.

Captain David Byas also batted positively in the unbroken fourth wicket stand of 66 but it was Lehmann who commanded centre stage with his blistering strokeplay, three times in one over crashing Steffan Jones for boundaries on his way to a half-century off just 38 balls with nine fours.

Yorkshire could hardly have made a worse start as Jones pinned Simon Widdup lbw in his first over before Caddick had Michael Vaughan caught behind and Anthony McGrath snapped up in the slips from a ball that lifted off a length and found the edge of McGrath's defensive bat.

So fierce was Lehmann's onslaught that the 50 was raised in only the eighth over but Yorkshire will need to make their highest-ever winning score if they are to deny Somerset.

Resuming on 101 for one in the morning, Somerset met few problems in advancing to 327 for eight before declaring.

Opener Piran Holloway top-scored with 85 and was unfortunate to be run out when captain Jamie Cox hit back a return drive to Vaughan and the ball brushed the off-spinner's fingers before going into the stumps with Holloway stranded out of his ground.

Cox contributed a responsible 80 before he was caught by Widdup at slip in Darren Gough's best spell of the match and there was also a half-century for Michael Burns who was then caught and bowled by Vaughan on his way to career-best Championship figures of four for 47.

Cox was generous in praise of compatriot Lehmann. "He is a class player. He has such a talent," the Somerset captain said. "I am among many others just wondering why we have to play him all the time and why he is not playing at a higher level."

But Cox remained confident his side could complete a notable victory. "We are probably two or three wickets away from winning, but it would only need them to get a big partnership going to put the game back in the balance," he reasoned.

"They have to make the highest score of the match to win it and if they are good enough to do that we have either played very badly or they have played very well.

"We have kept ourselves in control of the match. We have performed pretty well since ball one. We have bowled very well, and both our batting innings have been very consistent. We just about have our noses in front."

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