Yorkshire were frustrated by centuries for unbeaten Keaton Jennings and Steven Croft as Lancashire had the better of day one of the Roses fixture at Headingley.
There was early cheer after Steve Patterson won his fifth successive LV= Insurance County Championship toss and elected to bowl, with Jordan Thompson striking twice as the visitors slipped to 12-2.
However, their early morning success was not followed up during a day which started under an overcast sky and made way to sunshine.
Third-wicket pair Jennings and Croft, who made 150 and 104 respectively, shared 237 from early morning to late evening to take their side to close at 288-3 from 96 overs.
While Croft’s eighth run took him beyond 9,000 in first-class, opener Jennings became only the second Lancashire player to record three hundreds in as many Roses Championship innings after Geoff Pullar in 1959 and 1960.
Last season, left-handed Jennings posted scores of 114 at Old Trafford and 132 here.
Yorkshire will rue giving Jennings clear lives on two and 70 and Croft one on five.
The first of the two chances to reprieve Jennings was to Harry Duke behind the stumps off Patterson in between Thompson’s wickets.
The second – during the afternoon – came when Adam Lyth couldn’t cling on at slip off Dom Bess. The second was much the harder of the chances.
Croft was dropped by Harry Brook low down at third slip off Tom Loten’s bowling.
This looks another excellent pitch for batting – in keeping with the early season trend around the whole of the competition.
When Patterson won the toss, he did so under an overcast sky. Though that gave way to sunshine for the majority of the day.
Thompson claimed both of his wickets amidst a seven-over new ball spell which cost him as many runs, Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon falling as the score slipped to 12-2 after seven overs.
Wells was caught behind by Duke pushing forwards at Thompson (8) before Bohannon was trapped lbw for two by a superb yorker which hit the England Lions man on the boot.
At that stage, the majority of the 1,700 strong crowd were in chipper mood.
Unfortunately, things became much tougher for a home attack which has included fit again Haris Rauf after he missed last week’s draw against Essex at Chelmsford with a side niggle.
He has replaced Sri Lankan overseas batter Dimuth Karunaratne in the side, while Loten has come in for fellow all-rounder Matthew Revis.
In addition to wicket-taker Thompson, Patterson (0-38 from 21 overs) and off-spinner Bess were again miserly
Yorkshire had restricted the score to 53-2 from 30 overs at lunch, a total which more than doubled in the opening 15 of the afternoon as boundaries came with frequency – 15 of them (127-2).
Lancashire actually scored 154 runs in 34 overs during the afternoon – 187-2 from 64 at tea.
While Jennings cut and guided particularly well, Croft was strong square on the other side of the wicket and pulled Rauf away to the boundary more than once during the afternoon.
Jennings was stuck on 99 for 13 balls after tea before tucking a leg-side single away to reach three figures off 207 with 16 fours.
He and Croft were nip and tuck runs wise for much of their innings, the latter even overtaking his partner briefly. But the former Lancashire skipper went into his shell after tea.
He later reached his second hundred of the season, also with 16 fours, off 212 balls with a six over wide long-on off Joe Root.
But he was trapped lbw by Rauf as Lancashire fell to 249-3 in the 86th over.
Jennings then reached 150 with his last ball of the day, his 280th in all.
