Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. James Wharton and Adam Lyth both scored centuries at North Marine Road today.
Adam Lyth scored a superb century and topped 1,000 Rothesay County Championship runs for the summer as Yorkshire strengthened their grip on the ongoing clash with Sussex on day two at Scarborough.
Sussex were bowled out for 222 in the early stages of a day which they had started on 210-9. New-ball seamer Jack White finished with a noteworthy 3-25 from 19 overs.
From there, Lyth starred with a third Division One century of the season – 115 off 233 balls, 16 fours – the 37-year-old’s 40th first-class career century.
More importantly, however, is the county’s position in a key game which they started second-bottom in the table but only 21 points adrift of Sussex in mid-table.
Yorkshire ended the day on 292-4 from 90 overs, leading by 70. Lyth and Wharton shared 168 for the third wicket from immediately after lunch to mid-evening. Wharton contributed a season’s best 85 off 130 balls.
Matt Milnes had Danny Lamb caught behind for 48 in the day’s fourth over, wrapping up the Sussex innings for the addition of a further 12 runs.
Lamb and last-man Gurinder Sandhu, 24 not out, shared 72 in 33 overs for the 10th wicket.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire, led by Dom Bess, leave the field this morning after dismissing Sussex for 222.
The Yorkshire wickets were shared around.
All 10 fell to seam, with Jack White standing out courtesy of 3-25 from 19 overs added to two apiece for George Hill, Milnes and Will Sutherland. Matthew Revis added the other.
Yorkshire then made a solid start to their reply, reaching lunch at 80-2 in the 24th over.
Lyth led the way with an unbeaten 34 as he closed in on 1,000 runs for the Championship season.
Fin Bean made 21. He whipped a six over mid-wicket off Lamb – well caught by a youngster on the county’s pathway system sat in the front row of the Popular Bank – before top-edging a pull behind against the same bowler.
Given Lyth learnt his trade as a junior on the ground, you never know, we could be talking about that young man in even more glowing terms in years to come.
Debutant overseas left-hander Imam-Ul-Haq started brightly, with four fours in 19. Unfortunately, he was cut short when well set, caught behind in the final over of the morning – caught at slip pushing forwards at Jack Carson’s off-spin.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s Pakistani overseas batter Imam-ul-Haq at the crease today.
Lyth went on to reach 50 for the eighth time in this season’s Championship, off 117 balls with 7x4s. By this stage, just under an hour into the afternoon, Yorkshire were 110-2.
We have certainly seen runs scored quicker here at Scarborough down the years. But Sussex’s progress yesterday, especially that of their tail-end pair Lamb and Sandhu, indicated that run-scoring wasn’t a walk in the park.
The White Rose plan was to grind this out. And they did it well.
Lyth has built a reputation for being free-flowing down the years.
However, he has an impressive other side to his game, too. The ability to repel.
Wharton expertly provided support, reaching his seventh fifty of the summer off 79 balls, by which stage Yorkshire were 191-2.
He was more aggressive than Lyth, highlighted by successive sixes off Carson – one was pulled and the other lofted over long-on.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Home sweet home for Adam Lyth as the opener celebrates a fifth career Championship century at Scarborough.
Lyth has now gone to and beyond 1,000 Championship runs for three successive seasons, the latest confirmed just before tea, where the White Rose reached at 199-2.
His century came up in 200 balls just after the break as Sussex’s total was bettered.
While Yorkshire’s first innings started watchfully, the tempo did increase either side of tea.
However, Sussex’s spinners removed the pair as Yorkshire fell to 250-4 in the 74th over.
Lyth was stumped over-stretching against Carson before Wharton was bowled playing back at the left-arm spin of James Coles.
Matthew Revis and Harry Duke then batted through the remainder of the day without alarm and will resume in the morning on 22 and 20 respectively.
