Forecast suggests there might be a full day tomorrow.

Might as well stick them in and see what happens.

Oh and Rashid's consecutive centuries and five for's is a first for any Yorkshire player.

If he does not get picked for Egland this winter it's a disgrace. Swann is doing well but Rashid has outplayed Monty all year and should be no.2 if not no.1.

Rashid and Shazhad are the ideal players for us this morning both can give it a tonk and Wainwright can support whoevers left, we can add a quick 100 then be bowling at them before lunch.

He got out first ball after completing a predictable double century. However, it has to be said these runs were scored against a Surrey bowling attack bearing more resemblance to the West Indies attack which he plundered for three centuries earlier this year than the Aussie one that subsequently undermined him, and on a Colchester pitch on which several lower order batsmen have excelled themselves, with Surrey's Chris Schofield and Stuart Meaker each passing their previous career best scores by a long distance. Bopara still looked a class act though. Mark Ramprakash, the other batsman in this game recently attracting the media's attention, hit Danish Kaneria for an enormous straight six on the first day before uncharacteristically getting out to an impatient loose shot after becoming becalmed.

He shouldn't walk straight back into the England team in South Africa, but I feel Bopara is a better long term bet than Ian Bell and should get another chance next year if he keeps piling on the runs in county cricket. England's biggest problem is a lack of excellence; we've got a lot of players who do "alright" most of the time and do enough to keep their place in the team, but without producing the sort of champion performances that turn a game and ultimately win it for their team, as Stuart Broad has probably done in the current Test. I feel Bopara can eventually develop into a top Test batsman. (I found it interesting that Justin Langer's leaked dossier on the England players actually advised not to bother sledging Bopara as, if anything, it would galvanise him. If he can address his technical flaws this has to be the type of character we need.)

Rashid should be the replacement for Flintoff for me...he's quite clearly a magnificently talented cricketer (even if he was born on the wrong side of the hills ) and can bat as well/better than any other potential all-rounder in the country...add in the fact he's a leg spinner and it would improve our bowling attack no end...even with playing 2 spinners I think we'd look a far better side than if we had Harmison in it as the Flintoff replacement!!

I'm vary wary of indroducing a new young player as "an all-rounder". Even Ian Botham initially got in as a "bowler who could bat" at 8; likewise the late Ben Hollioake, who was a year younger than Flintoff when he lost his life 7 and a half years ago - if only those two could have gone on to play regularly for the same Englnad team.

Rashid should go on the winter tour as one of two spinners along with Swann, and the fact that he may eventually become a top six batsman is a bonus for me at this stage. He took around 65 Championship wickets last season and is running into form again this year. He now merits consideration for his bowling ahead of Panesar even if his batting was no better than Panesar's. Next time we need to pick two spinners in a Test match Rashid simply must get chosen ahead of Panesar now. Broad will surely score a Test century before long and now he's well established I'd begin by pushing him up to 7 with Rashid at 8 and Swann at 9.

Rashid ended up 157*, superb knock - I think we're pretty screwed now we lose him and Bresnan to the ODI squad.

Looks destined for a draw with Lancs 45/1 at lunch, 108 behind - two more drops this morning off Bresnan - another wicket or two might have made it a bit interesting.

A 4th career century at just 21 and a career-high score for Deirdre...it was only against us and our massively depleted seam attack though still have to get the runs and wickets though so fair do's to him I say.

Loye and Laxman have more or less saved this game with their partnership (another good one between these 2 yet again)...155-2 and a lead of 2 runs.

EDIT 172-2 now, Laxman has his 4th score of 50 or above in his last 5 innings'...what a bl00dy player he is.

No surprises that it ended in a draw.

Big game starting Wednesday against Warwickshire, we need a win really - but with Bresnan and Rashid unavailable I'm not sure where it will come from.

Warks 53/4 at Lunch against a weakend Yorkshire side.