Bairstow’s century provides Yorkshire platform

Three weeks after scoring 205 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, his first three-figure score in first-class cricket, Jonny Bairstow made 136 to lead Yorkshire to 358 on the opening day here.

It was an innings of the highest quality by the burgeoning 21-year-old.

Small wonder England Lions came knocking on his door last week in a further fillip to his international hopes.

Bairstow’s innings lifted Yorkshire to a useful total – albeit far from the commanding one they had threatened in plumb batting conditions.

When Bairstow and Gary Ballance were at the crease in mid-afternoon, constructing a seemingly effortless fifth-wicket stand of 167 in 38 overs, run-scoring looked a simple business and it was difficult to see where a wicket was coming from.

But Bairstow’s departure triggered an all-too-familiar collapse as Yorkshire slid from 305-4 to lose their last six wickets for 53 runs in 15.2 overs.

Somerset reached 7-0 in reply and will expect to capitalise today on an excellent fightback.

If last week’s game at Liverpool was a bad toss to lose, with Yorkshire forced to bat in damp conditions against a strong Lancashire attack, this was unquestionably a good toss for Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale to win.

The Taunton pitch was predictably placid, the day sunny and pleasantly warm, while Somerset were depleted in the absence of pace bowler Alfonso Thomas and spinner Murali Kartik, who have only just returned from the Indian Premier League.

A par total was certainly in excess of what Yorkshire accrued, but they have enough firepower and variety in their bowling attack to believe they can force their way back into an important contest.

With Joe Sayers having failed a fitness test on a bruised right foot, Joe Root opened the innings with Adam Lyth on a greener-looking surface than is common here.

But Somerset failed to make the most of the new-ball as Charl Willoughby and former Yorkshire pace man Steve Kirby generally bowled a touch too wide.

Neither Root nor Lyth were obliged to play as much as they should have done during the opening exchanges, both batsmen feeding on a healthy diet of run-scoring opportunities as they sent the ball across the rapier-like outfield.

Lyth, who scored 142 and 93 in the corresponding fixture last year, went into this game in need of runs having managed only 283 in six Championship games this summer at 25.72.

The left-hander has still looked in good nick, however, and did so again as he took three lovely fours off an over from Peter Trego – one clipped off his legs in the direction of the dressing rooms, one on-driven to the foot of the Sir Ian Botham Stand and another cover-driven to the unimaginatively-named Somerset Stand.

The openers added 56 before Root fell in the 15th over, edging Gemaal Hussain to second slip where Marcus Trescothick took a sharp chance at the second attempt.

Anthony McGrath managed nine on his return to the side following a back injury, his innings ending when he edged Trego behind, and Yorkshire slipped to 75-3 shortly before lunch.

Good starts followed by soft dismissals have been the story of Lyth’s season and the plot continued when he edged Hussain to James Hildreth at first slip after making 39 from 35 balls with seven fours.

Yorkshire slipped to 138-4 shortly after the break, Gale going caught behind to a lifter from Kirby, only for Bairstow and Ballance to get them back on track.

Bairstow had a let-off early on when he Chinese cut a delivery from Willoughby inches past his stumps but generally performed with comfort and composure.

The right-hander is in terrific form at present and he worked and drove handsomely all around the ground, even delicate pushes racing for four.

As Bairstow and Ballance prospered, Somerset grew ragged – their fielding at times bordering on the embarrassing.

Bairstow’s hundred seemed as inevitable as death and taxes and duly arrived three balls before tea when he drove Arul Suppiah’s part-time spin to the cover boundary.

But with the old ball starting to swing in the evening session, Bairstow was bowled on the drive by Willoughby, who then trapped Adil Rashid lbw first ball.

Ballance was caught behind for 61, Yorkshire’s innings ending when Ryan Sidebottom was caught behind, Ajmal Shahzad lbw and Oliver Hannon-Dalby caught behind as wicketkeeper Jos Buttler ended with five catches.

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Scoreboard: Page 22.