County Championship: Gough Looking for Some Positive Spin

Darren Gough called for Yorkshire to take pride in their surprise status as championship leaders and conquer the frustrations of a drenched summer as their match with Surrey predictably fell victim to rain yesterday.

Yorkshire now switch to Scarborough as they try to preserve an 11-point lead in the championship. The coastal ground would normally be a signal for Mark Lawson to join his fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid but Lawson has yet to start a championship match this season and Gough's prime need with more rain forecast is for a dressing-room comedian.

"We are disappointed and frustrated," he said. "I keep asking the boys, 'Who would have expected us to be top after 10 games?' We still have it in our hands. We will have to take more risks to win the title, but you can't do that when you know the rain is coming in."

Gough, who added to three overnight wickets against Surrey to finish with a season's-best six for 50, is looking to Rashid to keep Yorkshire's challenge on track if the weather improves.

"Sussex and Lancashire have x-factor spinners in Mushtaq and Murali. Rashid is our mini-x. Maybe mini-x can do the trick for us," he said.