England fringe opener Keaton Jennings scored a day two century for Lancashire to leave Yorkshire with a mountain to climb at Emirates Old Trafford.
At the halfway stage of this LV= Insurance County Championship Roses fixture, Yorkshire’s unbeaten start to the summer is in danger of being halted in the seventh game.
After being bowled out for 159 on day one, Jennings and second-wicket partner Luke Wells batted in a determined way Yorkshire have been craving for much of this campaign.
The pair shared 175 inside 67 overs from late evening on day one to mid-afternoon on day two to advance from 71-1.
Yorkshire went wicketless until mid-afternoon, but they did not bowl badly and Jordan Thompson later ended the day with three wickets and Ben Coad two as Lancashire closed on 350-6 from 127 overs, a lead of 191.
The White Rose controlled the run-rate on a pitch offering little for bowlers, but left-handers Jennings and Wells dug in and slowly but surely batted Steve Patterson and company into a corner that will take something special for them to get out of.
Jennings made 114 from 260 balls, batting for 338 minutes.
It was his first first-class century since England’s Test series victory in Sri Lanka in November 2018 and his fourth for Lancashire, where he has been for the last three and a bit years following a move from Durham.
Wells made 60 off 201 balls, batting for 267 minutes. It was his highest score for his new county having been released by Sussex over the winter.
Lancashire were 95-1 from 31 overs overnight and reached 150-1 from 62 at lunch.
The White Rose enjoyed some success in the afternoon session, with three wickets coming with the new ball.
When Jennings reached three figures off 253 balls, Lancashire were 233-1 in the 84th over – a lead of 74. Shortly afterwards, they were 246-3 in the 86th over, leading by 87.
Coad got Jennings and Thompson removed Wells, both caught at first slip by Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Jennings was caught pushing forwards and Wells caught trying to pull his bat out of the way.
Thompson claimed a second shortly afterwards when Liam Livingstone miscued a pull to mid-on (252-4 in the 90th over).
The first 15 overs of the evening, which Lancashire started at 266-4 from 95, were a pursuit of bonus points.
Dane Vilas (35) and Josh Bohannon both hit straight sixes off Dom Bess towards the Players and Media Centre at the Statham End of the ground. Bohannon’s thudded even into the scorers’ window.
But Coad claimed his second wicket, and Kohler-Cadmore his third catch, when home captain Vilas top-edged a pull over the head of wicketkeeper Harry Duke.
Both Duke and Kohler-Cadmore chased the catch, but the latter called ‘mine’ and completed a superb tumbling effort as Lancashire fell to 309-5 in the 105th over.
They later reached 324-5 from 110 overs, claiming their sixth bonus point of the fixture to Yorkshire’s one.
Thompson then had Luke Wood caught behind by Harry Duke – 340-6 after 114, a home lead of 181. The all-rounder finished the day with 3-64 from 20 overs.
Bohannon will begin day three unbeaten on 47.