YORKSHIRE are back in familiar territory on top of the Specsavers County Championship after claiming a first win of the season over Surrey at Headingley yesterday.

The champions claimed an important 24-point victory by an innings and 20 runs to banish any fears they could go through the first quarter of the season winless.

Not only did they beat Surrey, they also beat the weather as 105.4 overs were lost to rain throughout the fixture, including three day four interruptions.

Andrew Gale declared Yorkshire’s first innings on 557-6 in reply to 330 immediately before play started at 11.45am.

They had a minimum of 84 overs to play with, although that total decreased due to rain.

As it was, they won with 29 balls to spare by bowling Surrey out for 207 inside 74 overs having collapsed from 134-2 during the afternoon.

Jack Brooks and Steve Patterson claimed three wickets apiece, while Joe Root and Liam Plunkett picked up two each.

Root, who removed half-centurions Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies, was even forced into captaincy duties from late afternoon onwards following a knee injury to Gale fielding at short-leg.

It must also be noted that Yorkshire’s attack was a man down following news of an abdominal injury to David Willey, who is set to miss six weeks.

"We're delighted," said Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket, whose side are a point clear of Lancashire having played once more.

"With the weather that we've had over the last couple of days, to pull off the win is a great achievement. All credit to the bowlers.

“We've not quite been at our best this summer as a group, but I thought we did a great job and put the ball in the right areas often enough.

"It's an important win, particularly with Lancashire winning.

“We didn't want to get too far behind. As it is, we're just ahead with them having a game in hand. It keeps us in touch.

“The little bits of frustration that we've had at not being able to get that first win are gone. We can hopefully settle down and play to our best.”

Four of Yorkshire’s five bowlers, Adil Rashid aside, can all point to playing a crucial role yesterday. But Patterson and Root stood out.

Root had Sangakkara caught at cover to break a 104-run stand for the third wicket with Davies, who he also trapped lbw.

With the two left-handers together, the game looked to be slipping away from Yorkshire, but they fell as two of three wickets in 22 balls to go from 138-2 in the 35th over to 151-5 in the 39th.

Root’s wickets came just after he had taken over the captaincy duties, with Moxon describing him as “the golden boy”.

Patterson later struck with the first ball of his second spell to bowl Tom Curran, leaving the score at 194-7 with a little over an hour remaining.

He finished with 3-15 from nine overs: “I got a message from Ian Dews in the second team saying 'Is Patto injured?’” revealed Moxon.

“It was literally just before the first ball of his second spell.

“I was able to reply 'No, he's just got a wicket!’ It was a masterstroke from the acting captain and a fantastic spell.”