WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes was proud of his players after they battled away at unbeaten LV= County Championship Division One leaders Yorkshire.

The County earned five points from the seven-wicket defeat at Scarborough to move out of the relegation zone, three ahead of Sussex and 13 behind Somerset.

Sussex crucially crashed to an innings-and-103-run loss at home to fellow strugglers Nottinghamshire.

Worcestershire had to follow on in reply to 430 all out after being dismissed for 280 but kept fighting in their second innings of 306.

Rhodes said: “Our lads can hold their heads up high. They’ve put up a game effort against a very good team.

“If we can keep up that sort of effort, then this relegation battle is going to be terrific.

“If we can fight like we did in this game after an awkward first day, then the other teams around us are going to have to play well.

“Yorkshire have got a Test attack and they’ve steamrolled a few of the other sides in this division.

“We scored 586 runs in the game and kept them out there for six sessions, which was a game effort when we are meant to be the whipping boys. We’ve proved again we can fight in games and try to mix it with the best of them.

“The important thing for our team is to be keep the efforts going. We’ve been at it all year and I’m sure they’ll be at it to the very end. That’s the message I’ve given them post-match in our little chat.”

County all-rounder Ross Whiteley responded to his Championship recall with 101 in the second innings.

Rhodes added: “Ross was fantastic in the second innings and that will do him the world of good.

“He is a real talent and we’ve been desperate for him to come off in four-day cricket with the bat.

“Ross played a very mature innings but also with some sporadic bits of aggression, which was fantastic to watch.

“Hopefully, it will go a long way towards him learning a lot about four-day batting.”