Dawid Malan’s brilliant 145 not out represented his maiden Yorkshire century and underpinned a dominant home start to their table-topping Bob Willis Trophy clash with Derbyshire at Emerald Headingley.
Both counties have won their opening two North Group games, with Derby leading the race for top spot in the table by four points.
But the visitors, having elected to bowl first upon winning the toss, were unable to seize the initiative despite a couple of openings either side of lunch, with Yorkshire closing on 280-4 from 78 overs. Bad light ended play 12 overs early.
This is England batsman Malan’s competitive home debut at Headingley, and he hit 21 fours and a six in 180 balls.
He hit a half-century in a friendly against Durham here last month and then a match-clinching 73 against the same opponents at Emirates Riverside in the opening round of the Bob Willis.
Here, he shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 174 inside 44 overs with impressive Jonny Tattersall – 64 not out off 142 balls – from early afternoon onwards.
Yorkshire have handed a debut to England under 19s all-rounder George Hill. He has replaced off-spinner Jack Shutt from the team which won at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.
The county have now handed first-class debuts to three players in as many matches this summer – Hill, Shutt and Dom Leech.
It was a hectic start to a key fixture in the race for next month’s Lord’s final.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell in the second over when he edged Ben Aitchison to third slip as he under-edged a ball he tried to leave alone (2-1).
Lyth then pulled back-to-back sixes off Michael Cohen in the third over, with the left-arm seamer bowling a wayward three-over spell with the new ball. But the South African would later return to enjoy some success.
Jonny Bairstow was dropped on nought at mid-off by Derby captain Billy Godleman off Dustin Melton before hitting four boundaries in 22, three of them particularly crisply struck.
Unfortunately, he fell when he pushed at Anuj Dal’s seamers and edged behind in the 16th over, leaving Yorkshire 40-2.
Lyth and Malan then took their side to lunch on 82-2, with Derby no doubt frustrated that they were unable to claim more rewards under slate grey skies and in helpful conditions.
Those rewards came for a rejuvenated Cohen shortly after lunch, as he removed Lyth and Harry Brook, for 31 and nought, in the space of four balls in the seventh over of the afternoon as Yorkshire fell to 106-4 in the 35th.
But Malan, particularly strong driving through the covers and down the ground, found an ally in Tattersall, with them nullifying another chance for Derby, missing experienced heads Luis Reece, Ravi Rampaul and Tony Palladino, to put the pressure on.
Malan reached his fifty off 87 balls with a glorious straight driven boundary off Melton, and by the time lunch came the pair had shared 72, taking the score to 178-4 from 58 overs. Tattersall was 34 not out.
He then reached his 26th first-class hundred off 136 balls, by which time the first batting point had been secured for passing 200 and a century partnership with Tattersall have been achieved.
Tattersall reached his own fifty – more understated than Malan but no less important – inside the final 20 overs of the day, off 122 balls.
