Mayank Agarwal saved the day for Yorkshire against Durham in a County Championship match at Headingley Carnegie. The RCB batter's timely century dragged the team into the competition after losing multiple wickets early.

Yorkshire lost one of their openers for only 9 runs, then a partnership between Agarwal and Adam Lyth bought in the counter-fight. Batting first, Durham scored 346 runs, which is a competitive total. After a strong second-wicket partnership, Yorkshire again started to lose their momentum as their two middle-order batters departed in a short time. Throughout the day, it was mostly about Mayank, who kept the fight on.

After the end of Day 2, Yorkshire is now trailing by only 32 runs and is expected to overcome the total set by Durham. The top-order Indian batter missed an opportunity to register a double hundred as he went back to the pavilion after making a magnificent 175 runs against 195 deliveries. His innings was laced with twenty 4s and five 6s. Though, he was not fully satisfied with his brilliant batting. The batter was a little bit stretchy during the initial stage, which annoyed him pretty much. 

Read More: [WATCH]: 'Sahibzada Farhan Ke Liye...'- Irfan Pathan's prediction proved right during PAK vs BAN Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match

Mayank Agarwal's century reduced the difference 

"Very honestly, my innings didn’t start smoothly. They were very disciplined. We didn’t get many loose balls. They were at us, and credit to them for that," Agarwal stated at the end of the day as the White Rose was 314-5 in their first innings.

"Then it was just about giving them their dues, looking to watch out for their spells, and then seeing if we could dominate. I thought my partnership with Adam (Lyth) was crucial. We just fed off each other’s energy and fed off each other’s confidence. Once we did that, we put ourselves in a good position." 

Pakistan international Imam-ul-Haq was in stellar form for Yorkshire in the One-Day Cup. The left-handed batter signed off from the tournament's group stage with three centuries and three fifties from seven innings, averaging 97.16 with a total of 583 runs.

He began his stint with the English side with a knock of 55 before scoring his List A career-best 159 against Warwickshire. Then, the batter went to score a match-winning 117 and an unbeaten 54 against Lancashire and Middlesex, respectively. His third century—106in 108 deliveries—of the campaign came against Sussex. In Yorkshire's last match of the group stage, the Pakistan star claimed a 70-run innings versus Kent on Tuesday (August 26, 2025).

Imam was the second-best scorer of the match for Yorkshire after James Wharton, who struck 118 to help the team to register 301 runs on the scoreboard, batting first. Yorkshire won the match by 76 runs. Imam-ul-Haq was the last-minute signing for the club in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad. The replacement proved instantly effective, as the Pakistani had been in a flying form. Imam was contracted for five County Championship games and eight One-Day Cup matches, but the duration of the contract can be increased as the team is top of Group B and ready to face knockout encounters.

Read More: 'Prevention is better....' - Michael Clarke provides update after undergoing surgery for skin cancer

Should Pakistan recall Imam in their ODI squad?

The three half-centuries and three centuries can keep Imam in Yorkshire for their upcoming endeavors. The batter's statement-making performance came at the moment when the Pakistan cricket team has been struggling in the One Day International format. Recently, they lost an ODI series against the West Indies for the first time in 34 years. 

After making his ODI debut for Pakistan in 2018, the top-order batter played 75 matches and evaluated the batting average at 47.04, including a highest score of 151. In April 2025, Imam played his last ODI for his nation against New Zealand. 

England bowler Katherine Brunt has announced her retirement from county cricket. The 37-year-old, who is in the England squad for next month’s T20 World Cup, will play in this summer’s Hundred, but will not feature for the Northern Diamonds or Yorkshire.

Brunt has barely featured for her home county in recent seasons due to an increasingly busy international schedule and has not played county cricket since 2019. “I have played some games over the last few seasons, but it’s been two or three max per year because that’s all the schedule has allowed,” she said on Yorkshire’s official website. “There has been a time when I’ve been injured and not fully fit and I’ve played just as a batter.

Also Read: Can Marnus Labuschagne Handle India’s Trial By Spin?

Katherine Brunt says, “I don’t want to hold those girls back”

“I don’t want to take up someone’s place in the team. It wouldn’t think that’s fair when there’s so much good young talent in that Diamonds set-up. “I don’t want to hold those girls back just because I’m someone who walks into the team because I need the practice. “That makes it hard for a coach who needs to develop their young players who will be needed for crunch time in finals when I’m not available. “I’m happy with what I’ve done”.

Brunt retired from Test cricket in June 2022 and has not played ODI cricket since July last year. Said that she is retiring from regional and domestic cricket to allow younger players to come through. Brunt won the Championship with Yorkshire in 2015. Will be in South Africa with England for next month’s T20 World Cup. She last played county cricket in 2019 and has played just eight times. For the Northern Diamonds across the first three years of regional cricket.