Gough has endured a frustrating summer due to various injury niggles and, having already announced that this would be his final season, his efforts in the drawn match with Somerset at Scarborough could prove his last.

The 38-year-old produced a fiery spell to briefly raise hopes of a victory for relegation-threatened Yorkshire, but he ended with 2-52 as the LV County Championship Division One match petered out into a draw.

With Yorkshire away at Sussex on Wednesday, the Scarborough crowd knew it would be his final first-class match in his home county and Gough left the field to a rousing reception.

Gough, Yorkshire skipper for the past two seasons, said: "I wanted to go out in style – and that proved to me that I am ready to retire, I am absolutely shattered now.

"I bowled as quick as I have for a long, long time in that first spell.

"I had the opposition saying that it was the quickest they have faced all season and when they say stuff like that, I'd like to finish on that note.

Gough will take stock over the next couple of days before deciding whether he is fit to play in what will be a crucial relegation encounter at Hove.

"I have given everything there, three spells of putting my body to the limit," he said. "I will see how I feel today and see how the other bowlers are."

Yorkshire remain in the bottom two but the battle to avoid joining Surrey in Division Two is tight with four teams covered by just five points, the others being Lancashire, Kent and next opponents Sussex.

The draw lifted Somerset within eight points of leaders Nottinghamshire and one ahead of Durham in a three-way battle for the title.

Somerset batted throughout the final day, declaring with a lead of 283 on 317-8 as stumps were drawn an hour before the scheduled close.

A draw had seemed inevitable for most of the match and Gough admitted that he was disappointed with the placid pitch, a recurring frustration for him at home matches throughout his tenure as captain.

He said: "I've been saying it for two years.

Hopefully it will finally kick in at some stage for people are starting to agree with me now.

"You have got to give the bowlers a chance, especially with the bowling line-up Yorkshire have got.

"Bowlers need a bit of encouragement because if you turn up time after time and are bowling on wickets like that, you are soon going to get disheartened."

Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan could also miss Yorkshire's final LV County Championship match after suffering a fresh injury scare.

Vaughan strained a side muscle while bowling on the final day of Yorkshire's encounter with Somerset and did not field in the final session.

The 33-year-old also suffered soreness in his right knee – a joint on which he has undergone four operations during his career – but this was not thought serious.

Missing the match at Hove would be a further setback for Vaughan as he attempts to win back his place in the England side.

Vaughan has endured a wretched year of form and has managed only scores of 10, 0, 19 and 14 in three first-class matches since stepping down as England skipper last month.

Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: "Michael has got a little bit of an injury as well as his knee being a bit sore.

"It's a concern and obviously we will check him out over the next couple of days. He is obviously a doubt.

"He has worked really hard trying to get runs for us and I thought on Thursday that this was going to be the game because he looked so good whilst he was in.

"But we will just have to wait and see what Monday brings and what the state of his fitness is."

Vaughan is assured of an England central contract for the next year, but is no certainty for the tour of India and had been hoping to prove his form before the end of the domestic season.