Somerset v Yorkshire: Yorkshire's advantage is bolstered by reliable Lyth

LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Adam Lyth replaced team-mate Jacques Rudolph as the leading run-maker in Division One of the County Championship with another impressive contribution to the match at Taunton.

The young left-hander followed up his first innings 142 with 93 as Yorkshire continued to get the better of a tight contest against Somerset.

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But it is going to take something remarkable on the final day to produce a decisive result as the visitors go into it on 154-2 in their second innings, leading by 182.

The pitch has offered occasional slow turn, but stand-in captain Rudolph will not have forgotten that Somerset successfully chased 476 in the corresponding fixture last season and is unlikely to consider a declaration that gives them any chance.

Lyth was out leg before in the final over of the third day, attempting to sweep Murali Kartik, having hit nine fours while facing 170 balls. He did not play as well as in the first innings and needed a few moments of fortune, but is now on 622 Championship runs for the season at an average of 62.

Rudolph will have power to add to his 529 today. Taunton is becoming notorious for high-scoring draws and this looks set to be another one.

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While Somerset's World Twenty20 hero Craig Kieswetter was holding a press conference at the ground, his team serenely built on their overnight 226-4 under overcast skies.

Having opened up with Tino Best and Steven Patterson, Rudolph soon turned to the less fearsome pace of Anthony McGrath in tandem with the left-arm spin of David Wainwright as he awaited the new ball.

Both were guilty of feeding runs to Arul Suppiah, unbeaten on 78 overnight, and 19-year-old partner Jos Buttler, fresh from scoring his maiden century against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl last week.

The pair added 59 without alarm and Suppiah was one short of his century when pushing forward to a ball from Wainwright that gripped and turned, forcing him to edge a straightforward catch to Rudolph at slip.

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Buttler reached his fifty off 69 balls, with seven fours, before being undone by a much more innocuous delivery from Wainwright. He top-edged an inviting long-hop to mid-wicket where Lyth took the catch.

It was 296-6 and Somerset had just secured their third batting point when the new ball became available. It still brought no joy for Best, who was to end the innings with 0-95 from 19 overs, despite looking hostile at times.

Ben Phillips looked less than impressed with the decision when judged lbw pushing forward to Adil Rashid, who was introduced into the attack for the first time in the day with the ball seven overs old.

Lunch was taken with the fall of that wicket and Somerset

324-7 with the game already meandering and neither side looking capable of winning it. Rashid also accounted for Alfonso Thomas, caught behind prodding defensively at a delivery that turned, but by then the home side had reached 350, with Peter Trego their main hope of surpassing Yorkshire's total.

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The powerful all-rounder had been unusually subdued in making 22 before Oliver Hannon-Dalby got a ball to nip back off the seam and gained a leg before decision.

Last man Charl Willoughby, an old fashioned No 11, lofted Rashid for a straight six before Wainwright switched ends to replace the leg-spinner and bowled him with a delivery that just clipped the off bail.

Rashid returned 4-85 and Wainwright 3-48, but Hannon-Dalby bowled as well as anyone for his 2-50 from 20 overs. Yorkshire had a lead of just 28 runs.

By tea Lyth and Joe Sayers had extended that advantage by 38 with the pitch apparently still holding no terrors.

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Thomas then produced a lively spell from the Old Pavilion End after the interval and accounted for Sayers, lbw playing across a full swinging delivery. McGrath survived an equally confident shout by the same bowler, who then saw Lyth edge a lifter just beyond the reach of Zander de Bruyn at point.

Lyth could not match the form of his first innings century, but battled his way to fifty off 97 balls, with five fours. At that point he appeared to survive a sharp chance to Suppiah at short-leg off Kartik.

McGrath was still there at the close, unbeaten on 38, having grown in stature as he did when making 73 in the first innings.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Adam Lyth

Adam Lyth was not as fluent as in the first innings, but still batted for nearly three hours giving only one sharp chance.

LV County Championship,

Division One

Somerset v Yorkshire

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Taunton: Yorkshire (7pts) lead Somerset (7pts) by 182 with 8 second inns wkts standing.

Overnight: Yorkshire 405. Somerset 226-4.

Yorkshire First Innings

A Lyth c Phillips b de Bruyn 142

J J Sayers c Kartik b Phillips 50

A McGrath c Trego b Phillips 73

J A Rudolph c de Bruyn b Phillips 11

G S Ballance c Buttler b Phillips 4

S A Patterson c Kartik b Thomas 25

J M Bairstow c Compton b Kartik 17

A U Rashid b Thomas 1

D J Wainwright c Phillips b Kartik 39

T L Best lbw b Kartik 15

O J Hannon-Dalby not out 2

Extras b9 lb5 w2 nb10 26

Total (131.5 overs) 405

Fall: 1-115 2-251 3-280 4-286 5-297

6-339 7-343 8-343 9-359.

Bowling: Willoughby 29 8 95 0; Phillips 36 13 76 4; Thomas 18 6 60 2; Trego 7 0 40 0; Kartik 35.5 8 106 3; Compton 1 0 2 0; Suppiah 3 1 3 0; de Bruyn 2 1 9 1.

Somerset First Innings

M E Trescothick lbw b Hannon-Dalby 39

A V Suppiah c Rudolph b Wainwright 99

N R D Compton c Bairstow b Patterson 5

Z de Bruyn b A U Rashid 47

J C Hildreth c McGrath b A U Rashid 31

J C Buttler c Lyth b Wainwright 52

P D Trego lbw b Hannon-Dalby 22

B J Phillips lbw b A U Rashid 16

A C Thomas c Bairstow b A U Rashid 14

M Kartik not out 15

C M Willoughby b Wainwright 10

Extras b4 lb16 w7 27

Total (104.4 overs) 377

Fall: 1-51 2-60 3-160 4-204 5-285 6-296 7-324 8-350 9-360.

Bowling: Best 19 2 95 0; Patterson 22 7 54 1; Hannon-Dalby 20 3 50 2; McGrath 9 2 25 0; Wainwright 15.4 3 48 3; A U Rashid 19 0 85 4.

Yorkshire Second Innings

A Lyth lbw b Kartik 93

J J Sayers lbw b Thomas 12

A McGrath not out 38

Extras b8 w1 nb2 11

Total 2 wkts (47.3 overs) 154

Fall: 1-39 2-154.

Bowling: Willoughby 10 1 35 0; Phillips 6 1 14 0; Thomas 8 1 20 1; Kartik 17.3 2 48 1; de Bruyn 6 0 29 0.