Yorkshire secured a convincing 186-run victory over Glamorgan, bowling them out for 209, putting themselves on the verge of promotion to Division One with just one round left in the season.
With one game remaining, a draw and a few bonus points against Northamptonshire will be enough for Yorkshire to secure promotion. They now lead third-placed Middlesex by 15 points and are 20 points behind leaders Sussex after wrapping up the final three Glamorgan wickets in just an hour.
Relegated by a single point two years ago and hindered by a points deduction last season, Yorkshire now appear determined to return to the top flight.
"We've played well, and we’ve been playing well for several weeks," said Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson. "This week was crucial with Sussex continuing to win. Losing the toss and being put in meant the way we played over the last three-and-a-half days fully earned us this win."
Glamorgan, meanwhile, will now shift focus to the One-Day Cup final against Somerset at Trent Bridge on Sunday, as they aim to bring silverware back to Sophia Gardens despite a difficult Championship campaign that sees them second from bottom.
"That was tough, really disappointing," admitted Glamorgan coach Grant Bradburn. "We've faced strong teams in recent weeks, and we haven’t been sharp enough in every department. Losing is never easy, but we can handle it if we’re at least giving ourselves a chance to win."
Glamorgan's final day began with James Harris and Asa Tribe facing an uphill battle, knowing survival would require making it through to the forecast bad weather later in the day. However, Yorkshire’s opening bowlers Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher, with 13 wickets between them already, resumed their relentless pursuit of victory.
After half an hour of patience, Fisher made the breakthrough, bowling Tribe for a well-fought 58—an important milestone for the 20-year-old as he looks to establish himself in the Glamorgan squad. Fisher quickly followed up by trapping Andy Gorvin lbw, leaving Yorkshire within touching distance of victory.
"I've been hoping for a while to have Fish and Coad fit together for an extended period," Gibson remarked. "When they take the new ball, you know they'll challenge the opposition and take wickets."
Harris fought on at the other end, adding 41 runs in an entertaining final-wicket partnership with Ben Morris. But Harris's resistance was finally ended when Jordan Thompson bowled him just one run short of a half-century, bringing Yorkshire’s triumph to a close.
Brief Scores:
Yorkshire 361 (Hill 90, Wharton 63, Bess 50, Govin 4-67) and 273 (Bean 57, Lyth 55, Harris 5-73)
beat
Glamorgan 239 (Ingram 82, Coad 4-55, Fisher 4-55) and 209 (Tribe 58, Coad 4-51) by 186 runs.