A century partnership between the fifth wicket pair of Ross Whiteley and Brett D'Oliveira helped battling Worcestershire extend their LV = County Championship clash with leaders Yorkshire into the fourth day after they were forced to follow on at Scarborough.
Whiteley and D'Oliveira came together in Worcestershire's second innings before tea at 95-4 – still 55 short of making the home side bat again.
But they added exactly 100 in 27 overs before D'Oliveira departed for 37.
By the close Whiteley had moved onto 65 not out from 104 balls with one six and eight fours out of 221-6 – a lead of 71.
It was a typically fighting display by the visitors against the reigning champions who possess five quality pace bowlers and leg spinner Adil Rashid.
Worcestershire resumed at the start of the third day on 195-6 in their first innings with Joe Clarke on 76 and Joe Leach 13 – and they failed by just one run to avoid the follow on.
Director of Cricket, Steve Rhodes, had described Clarke's innings as one of the best he had seen from a 19-year-old and he and Leach added 24 runs off the first five overs from Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks.
Ryan Sidebottom replaced Plunkett and he had Clarke caught at first slip by Alex Lees for a career-best 88 from 125 deliveries with seven fours and a six.
Leach (27) was lbw pushing half-forward to spinner Adil Rashid who was driven for six into the pavilion enclosure by Jack Shantry but three balls later the left-hander was caught at silly mid-off by Lees for 17.
Worcestershire were then 242-9 but Saeed Ajmal gave them renewed hope of making Yorkshire bat again as he picked up five fours in the space of two overs from Plunkett.
The Pakistan spinner scored 34 of 38 added for the 10th wicket with Charlie Morris who was dropped at short leg off Plunkett.
But the return of Tim Bresnan to the attack accounted for Ajmal who was bowled for 37 made from 30 balls with seven fours as Worcestershire were dismissed for 280.
Unsurprisingly, Tykes skipper Andrew Gale asked Worcestershire to bat again and they suffered a blow when Richard Oliver (14) was adjudged lbw to Bresnan in the final over before lunch.
Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell dug in with typical determination , scoring three off 41 balls before straight driving Steve Patterson for his first four.
Mitchell and Tom Fell (23) – dropped before he had scored – added 47 before the latter top edged a pull shot against Brooks and keeper Jonny Bairstow held the catch running to his left.
Opener Mitchell (25 off 102 balls) continued his disciplined innings until he edged Brooks to Alex Lees at first slip with Worcestershire 93-3.
Two runs later Rashid bowled Clarke (21) with a fine leg-break. Brett D'Oliveira and Ross Whiteley provided stiff resistance and brought up their 50 stand in only 14 overs.
Whiteley on 26 had a let off when Sidebottom at wide mid on spilled a chance off Bresnan and the resulting two runs meant Yorkshire had to bat again.
The left hander took advantage of this let-off by hitting Rashid for three boundaries in an over.
The 100 stand between Whiteley and D'Oliveira came up in 27 overs and earned generous applause from the home crowd.
But in the same over D'Oliveira (37) clipped Plunkett into the hands of Brooks at square leg.
Plunkett then in his next over accounted for Ben Cox (4) who could not keep down a delivery and fended to Jack Leaning at second slip
Whiteley was joined by Leach and the pair saw Worcestershire through to the close.
