6pm – Close. Middlesex, replying to our 601-6 declared, have ended the day strongly at 141-1 from 50 overs. Robson has 65 and Holden 39. Bess with the only wicket, added to an unbeaten 60 with the bat earlier. Hill and Bairstow shone with 169 not out and 160. Tough slog for the bowlers this one.
5.53pm – Thompson is going to have another over or two before we close for the day. Middlesex 134-1 after 48. Robson 59, Holden 38.
5.46pm – We are through the day’s allocation of 96 overs, with Middlesex 129-1 after 46. But we will carry on to 6pm. Robson 58 and Holden 34 as they reply to our 601-6 declared.
5.40pm – Yorkshire’s seconds are going to chase down 408 to beat Surrey in their Championship clash at York. Hundreds for Harry Duke and Will Bennison. Some effort that. Incidentally, that’s a game which sees Tom Fraine play against his older brother Will, who has been drafted into Surrey’s side as a late injury replacement.
5.25pm – Robson has reached his fifty off 105 balls with 6x4s. Middlesex have moved to 116-1 in the 39th over as they reply to our 601-6 declared.
5.16pm – Middlesex have moved to 108-1 after 37 overs, with Robson 45 and Holden 19. Lyth has just bowled his first.
4.40pm – Middlesex have moved to 69-1 in the 23rd over. Robson 30, Holden 4.
4.27pm – WICKET! Stoneman caught at slip by Lyth off Bess, 27. Middlesex are 61-1 in the 19th over.
4.17pm – We’re up and running again after tea. Middlesex 60-0 after 15 overs. Bess and Moriarty in tandem.
3.55pm – Tea. Middlesex 55-0 after 14 overs. Robson 25, Stoneman 22. They are replying to our 601-6 declared.
3.39pm – Middlesex are 34-0 after eight overs. Moriarty has just bowled his first, replacing Thompson. Bess into the attack now
3.20pm – Middlesex are 14-0 in the fifth over, with Coad bowling to a short mid-on and a short mid-off, two short covers and two short mid-wickets. Two slips and a deep backward square too. That field screams Kookaburra ball.
3.09pm – Thompson sharing the new ball. Middlesex 2-0. Bess is on the field now.
3.04pm – The Middlesex reply to 601-6 declared begins. We have 46 overs remaining in the day. Coad with the new ball. Robson and Stoneman opening the batting. Cliff on for Bess as sub fielder.
3.01pm – Tattersall will keep wicket for Yorkshire, not Bairstow. Bess has not come out to field. Cliff on as sub fielder.
2.54pm – Bess has just slog-swept Hollman for six and a four over mid-wicket to move to 60 out of 601-6 after 144, and there’s the declaration. Hill 169 not out. Fabulous effort, including Bairstow’s 160.
2.50pm – Bess reaches his fifty off 65 balls with 6x4s. Excellent. 583-6 in the 143rd.
2.44pm – Hill 159 and Bess 49 have shared 100 for the seventh wicket. 580-6 in the 142nd over.
2.39pm – Just looking at the list of highest ever first-class totals posted at Headingley. This is 12th on the list at present, with the score now 574-6 in the 140th over. Hill 157 and Bess 45.
2.29pm – Hill now onto a career best 152 out of 558-6 in the 137th.
2.28pm – Hill reaches his 150 off 236 balls with 16x4s and 2x6s. Superb stuff from the all-rounder. It’s 555-6 in the 137th over.
2.21pm – Bess is down receiving treatment on a left ankle problem, seemingly sustained taking a run. Yorkshire 545-6 after 135 overs. He has 26 and Hill 147.
2.13pm – We’ve moved to 537-6 after 133 overs. Hill 145, Bess 20, and the partnership is 57.
1.54pm – Yorkshire 500-6 in the 129th over. Hill 120 and Bess 10.
1.41pm – We’re about to resume after lunch. Hill facing Hollman on 113. Yorkshire 485-6 after 125 overs. Bess has 5.
1.01pm – Lunch. Yorkshire have advanced to 485-6 from 125 overs, with Hill 113 and Bess 5. Bairstow the only wicket to fall in the morning for 160. Excellent.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. George Hill en-route to his 113 not out.
12.54pm – WICKET! Bairstow bowled pulling at Hollman for a brilliant 160. We’re 480-6 in the 124th over, ending a stand of 238 with Hill, who has 113. Bess in now.
12.28pm – 150 for Bairstow. 178 balls, 14x4s and 2x6s. Fabulous knock, and we’re 458-5 in the 118th over.
12.09pm – HUNDRED!!! Hill gets there off 169 balls with 10x4s and 2x6s. Sensational. We’re 442-5 in the 113th over, and he’s shared 200 and counting for the sixth wicket with Bairstow 135 – a YCCC sixth-wicket record v Middlesex.
12.05pm – Hill moves to 96. Yorkshire 438-5 after 112 overs.
11.56am – We’re through 110 overs, so no more bonus points in the innings. At 428-5, with Bairstow 130 and Hill 91, we have taken four points to Middlesex’s one. An excellent effort.
11.40am – Point just been made in the press box that it will be a rarity to see Bairstow, Brook and Root all score Championship centuries in the same season for Yorkshire. Well, in fact, 2024 is the first time it’s happened.
11.37am – We’ve reached 400-5 in the 105th over. That’s a fourth batting bonus point secured. Bairstow 122, Hill 72.
11.24am – We’re 395-5 in the 103rd over, with Bairstow 118. He has just brought up the 150 stand with Hill, who has 70.
11.14am – Hill picks up first boundary of the day, wide of mid-on off Hollman, to move to 64 out of 379-5 in the 100th over. As we speak, he’s just survived a missed stumping.
As so often happens, the next ball goes for four – 383-5, and he has 68.
11am – We’re all set for the start of play at Headingley. Yorkshire 372-5 after 96 overs. Brookes to Hill 58 to get us going. Bairstow has 107.
10.32am – Yorkshire have this morning announced the interim appointment of Sanjay Patel as the county’s new interim chief executive and Mitesh Velani as our new chief finance and operations officer.
8.30am – There was plenty of interest elsewhere yesterday, not least at Lord’s, where Joe Root score a 33rd Test century, the joint most by an England batter alongside Sir Alastair Cook. Root’s 143 underpinned 358-7 on day one against Sri Lanka.
The Division Two match between Gloucestershire (125) and Northamptonshire (116-2) was abandoned in a draw shortly after tea on day at Bristol following what the umpires deemed an unsafe pitch.
Justin Broad claimed seven wickets for Northamptonshire, who then had Ricardo Vasconcelos retire hurt with a suspected broken finger and Rob Keogh struck on the helmet. Umpires Chris Watts and Sue Redfern made the decision to abandon the match at 5pm.
8.25am – Good morning from Headingley. It’s another glorious start to the day, with the sun shining.
We’re all set for an 11am start as Yorkshire look to build on their 372-5 day one, including Jonny Bairstow’s 107 not out. George Hill will also be alongside him at the crease unbeaten on 58. They have shared a sixth-wicket 130.
It was a fascinating day yesterday – they all are, to be fair, at this stage of the season. You feel that any session could be the defining one in terms of the promotion race.
Yorkshire raced out of the blocks, were pegged back, there was a danger they could fall short given a number of batters got starts but didn’t go on, and then they ended the day superbly thanks to their England star Bairstow.
Middlesex improved with the ball as the day went on, but they weren’t fantastic in the field. Leg-spinner Luke Hollman impressed with three wickets.
The first port of call this morning will be to sort the bonus points out. We have 14 overs remaining in the first 110, and both teams have two more points to aim for.
The dream from Yorkshire’s point of view would be to reach 450-5 after 110 overs, gaining all five batting points and limiting Middlesex to one bowling point.
The bigger picture will see Yorkshire aim for 500-550 to try and make sure they only have to bat once in this fixture, which sees them play two spinners in Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty.
If you want to recap yesterday, you can do via our match report and reaction piece with Adam Lyth. They are linked below.
If you want to follow today’s action via the live stream, you can do via our Match Centre tab at the top of the page. Enjoy the day.
