Williamson takes full advantage of reprieve by umpires

Yorkshire's Kane Williamson celebrates his century.

Williamson was beckoned back to the middle by umpires Peter Hartley and Graham Lloyd after Sussex claimed a disputed catch against the New Zealand batsman.

Yorkshire were 55-2 in reply to Sussex’s 368 when Williamson edged a delivery from left-arm pace bowler Lewis Hatchett.

The ball flew to James Tredwell at second slip, who claimed to have caught it inches from the ground.

No sooner had Williamson played the shot than he pointed in Tredwell’s direction as if to say, “Look, everybody, the ball hit the turf”.

The 24-year-old stood his ground as Sussex celebrated and the umpires conferred.

With Sussex going hard in his ear, Williamson appeared to have accepted their word and began to walk off only to stop suddenly halfway back to the pavilion.

After a long chat, Hartley and Lloyd motioned him back and the match continued amid simmering ill-feeling.

Williamson, who had 16 at the time, had gone on to 90 by the time play was abandoned at 6.05pm due to bad light with 15.5 overs remaining.

Yorkshire had advanced to  258-5, 110 behind, to leave the match intriguingly poised.

Had 24-year-old New Zealander Williamson – a cricketer of the highest integrity – been adjudged out, the day could have taken a different course.

As it was, it ended much better for Yorkshire before a crowd of 3,400.

Williamson’s innings, which helped lift Yorkshire from 5-2, was full of clever placement and clinical drives.

The right-hander has a simple and successful method, one that allows him to play freely all around the ground.

At day’s end, he had faced 171 deliveries and hit 11 of them to the boundary.

He anchored the innings expertly.

Sussex began day two on  315-8 and survived for an hour, the ninth wicket falling on 364 to the final ball of the 110th over when Adil Rashid bowled Steve Magoffin to secure a third and final bowling point before trapping Matthew Hobden.

Adam Lyth dragged on to Hatchett and opening partner Alex Lees was held at fourth slip off Magoffin, Andrew Gale scoring 35 before Magoffin had him caught behind.

Jonny Bairstow struck a splendid 77 before Hobden won a dubious lbw verdict to the second ball after tea, ending a stand of 149 with Williamson in 47 overs.

Bairstow faced 91 balls and hit 12 fours to change the game’s momentum.