Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth celebrates his century at Headingley today, helping Yorkshire press ahead against Surrey.
Fifth-wicket pair Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow scored superb unbeaten centuries to help Yorkshire gain the advantage after day one of their blockbuster Rothesay County Championship clash with Surrey at Headingley.
Yorkshire, inserted, slipped to 121-4 shortly after lunch, with familiar face Matthew Fisher striking three times, including getting Joe Root lbw for 44 and Harry Brook caught at first slip for seven.
But Lyth and captain Bairstow united to turn the tide in good batting conditions, with Yorkshire closing the day on 362-4 from 96 overs.
Lyth’s 138 off 292 balls represented his 41st first-class century, while Bairstow went beyond 15,000 first-class runs en-route to his 116 off 187.
The pair shared 241 unbroken, with Bairstow’s century his first against the red ball since being appointed Yorkshire’s captain at the start of last season. Fisher, meanwhile, finished with 3-73 from 19 overs.
This is a match involving four members of England’s squad for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s at the start of next month; Brook and Root for Yorkshire and Fisher and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith for Surrey.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Matthew Fisher celebrates dismissing Harry Brook not long after lunch.
After a couple of initial blows, losing Will Luxton and Matthew Revis cheaply to fall to 38-2 in the 13th over, Yorkshire would have been happy with their start against a high-class, four-pronged Surrey pace attack led by Fisher and Dan Worrall.
Fisher struck first when Will Luxton clipped to mid-wicket to cut short his maiden first-team innings of the summer on eight. Jordan Clark then bowled Revis for nine as he attempted to leave alone.
Root settled quickly, working his second ball off his legs for four against Clark, and he had eased into the forties by the time Yorkshire reached lunch at 96-2.
He and Lyth had shared 58 at that point, the latter gaining a life when he was dropped at third slip by Ryan Patel off Sean Abbott’s bowling.
Lyth’s first two boundaries had been beautifully pushed down the ground off Dan Worrall’s bowling, and he would go on to reach his fifty off 124 balls.
But, unfortunately, by the time he got there he had lost Root and Brook as Yorkshire slipped to 121-4.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Joe Root survived a strong appeal for run out this morning.
Root was trapped lbw playing around one from Fisher before Brook – on seven – shimmied down the pitch at the same bowler and edged to first slip.
By this time, morning sunshine had made way to overcast skies with the floodlights on, and Surrey were on top.
But Lyth and captain Bairstow steadied the ship and advanced confidently through the remainder of the afternoon and through the evening as well.
Bairstow pulled Abbott for six into the Western Terrace to take the score to 194-4 and him to 38. Not long afterwards, he had reached his first fifty of 2026, off 89 balls.
Yorkshire reached tea at 232-4, with Lyth 82 and Bairstow 57 – their stand having reached 111.
The duo continued on into the evening, and Surrey were trying anything and everything to get a breakthrough, be it the spin of Dan Lawrence or the medium pace of Ryan Patel and Adam Thomas.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jonny Bairstow pulls Sean Abbott for six this afternoon.
Thankfully, it didn’t work, and when Lyth reached his latest career century – his 47th in all senior cricket – off 220 balls, Yorkshire were 275-4 and cruising along.
The new ball loomed as a danger, but the pair navigated it expertly.
Bairstow reached his 32nd first-class century – topping 15,000 career runs in the process – against the new ball and 10 overs from close. He got there off 160 balls with a fearsome cut off Fisher, with Yorkshire now 331-4.
The pair saw their side through to close without further alarm as the county secured three batting points with power to add in the morning.
