King Marnus the magnificent puts Yorkshire to the sword

The Australian is the epitome of cricketing royalty. The crowds should have been here, not at Westminster Abbey.

Instead, in front of a few hundred spectators at best, on a day when many were no doubt tuned into a different live stream, Labuschagne produced a performance of sovereign batting.

Perhaps the only blemish was when he got hit in what are euphemistically known as the “crown jewels”, a ball from Matty Fisher getting up more than expected.

Even in that sense his appreciation of occasion was sublime.

On 97 at the time, Labuschagne took a few moments to catch his breath before coolly running Jordan Thompson to the third-man boundary to reach three-figures - his 17th four from his 142nd-ball faced.

It was a chastening day for Yorkshire, with Labuschagne and Sam Northeast batting from the resumption at 11am until 20 minutes after lunch.

Proceedings had been preceded by the players and officials lining up on the outfield while the PA reverberated to the national anthem God Save the King – or was that God Help Yorkshire?

Either way, there were few alarms as Glamorgan built on their overnight 57-2 and lead of 196.

There was the flicker of a half-chance when a diving Fin Bean could not hold on at point when Labuschagne, on 11, cut Thompson fiercely, but otherwise a combination of good batting and mediocre bowling saw the visitors to 178-2 at the break, then already 317 to the good.

Northwest played nicely for 66, sharing 148 with Labuschagne before cutting Thompson to deep-ish gully, and after Kiran Carlson made no impact, Billy Root advanced to a serene half-century, Glamorgan declaring minutes before forecast rain claimed the late session. They left it late before pulling out – 352-4, a lead of 491.

Had they withdrawn 30-45 minutes earlier, Michael Neser, the Australian fast bowler who took seven wickets in the first innings, including the hat-trick, might have made early inroads beneath overcast skies.

As it was, they took a cautious approach, perhaps mindful of Jonny Bairstow’s presence in the visiting ranks.

Labuschagne walked off with 170 to his name, the 28-year-old having got stuck into fellow countryman Mickey Edwards and also spinner Dom Bess, clubbing the former and improvising against the latter.

He looks in fine touch ahead of the Ashes, with the third Test at Leeds in early July.

That Labuschagne took a liking to the ground cannot be disputed: a total of 235 runs for once out (he top-scored with 65 in the first innings) speaks for itself.

England beware.