Centurion Adam Lyth and Harry Brook united after lunch on day four to ensure Yorkshire held on for an opening round LV= Insurance County Championship draw against Glamorgan at Emerald Headingley.
Set 379 to win this Group Three clash – in a minimum of 76 overs – Yorkshire slipped to 47-3 in the 17th shortly after lunch when Joe Root edged into the slips for 13.
But brilliant Lyth and Brook (60) ensured there was no further alarm against a buoyant Welsh side who impressed with bat and ball throughout the game, sharing 131 for the fourth wicket through to early evening.
Yorkshire closed on 223-4 from 66 overs when the players ‘shook hands’ at 5.15pm, with Lyth’s superb unbeaten 115 off 196 balls marking his 25th first-class career hundred.
The White Rose may have ended the game on a positive note and claimed 11 points to Glamorgan’s 14, but they have plenty to ponder heading into Thursday’s trip to face Kent at Canterbury.
Bowling injuries for Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher aside, they were largely outplayed by a side who finished bottom of last season’s Central Group during the shortened four-day campaign.
The fixture’s subplot saw England Test captain Root come up against younger brother Billy.
And it was left-handed Billy who took the honours in that particular battle.
While Joe posted 16 and 13 in the match, Billy added to his first-innings 43 with a sixth career first-class century shortly before Glamorgan declared their second innings on 241-4 at midday.
Root reached his hundred off 210 balls and went on to post an excellent 110 on another freezing Leeds day.
He shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 212 with captain Chris Cooke, who declared immediately upon reaching 102. Glamorgan had started the day on 161-4.
Billy, aged 28, reached his hundred with a worked two to long-leg off Joe’s off-spin.
He was greeted by applause, a fist bump and a pat on the back from his brother of almost two years senior.
Yorkshire were quickly put under further pressure by Glamorgan’s bowlers, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore edging Timm van der Gugten behind and Michael Hogan trapping Tom Loten lbw as the score fell to 32-2 in the 12th over – two balls before lunch.
Five overs later, Root was caught low down at first slip by Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie as he played back and edged the bustling seam of Dan Douthwaite, leaving Yorkshire 47-3 and still with almost 70 overs remaining.
But, thankfully, Lyth and Brook were able to turn the tide in counter-attacking fashion.
Lyth pulled two sixes on the way to a 91-ball fifty before Brook lofted Billy Root’s off-spin for a straight six into the Emerald Stand and reached his half-century off 60 balls.
Ten minutes of snow either side of 3pm cut two overs from the remaining 76, and Yorkshire reached tea at 173-3 from 46 – an unlikely 206 more to win from 28.
Lyth was unbeaten on 80 and Brook on 60.
Brook was unable to add to his score and punched Hogan to cover off the back foot in the evening’s second over, leaving the score at 178-4 in the 48th.
Lyth later reached three figures off 166 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes, by which time Yorkshire were 199-4 with 20 overs remaining.
Jonny Tattersall then added 15 not out alongside the left-handed opener.
