Lyth takes command to put Yorkshire in control

The 22-year-old left-hander was in commanding form from the start in near cloudless conditions after Jacques Rudolph – acting captain with Andrew Gale on England Lions duty –had won the toss and taken first use of a dry, but typically batsman-friendly County Ground pitch.

Even the debut of new overseas signing Murali Kartik failed to spark the home side's attack. The Indian left-arm spinner got through 26 overs without taking a wicket as Yorkshire closed on 296-4, Anthony McGrath unbeaten on 73.

The morning session boded ill for the home side as they could make no impression with the new ball against Lyth and Joe Sayers, who eased their way to a century partnership before lunch.

A couple of edges fell short of the slips, but it was otherwise easy pickings for the two openers as Lyth moved smoothly to his half-century off 81 balls, with five fours, while Sayers looked equally untroubled in progressing to 41 by the interval.

Somerset's bowlers maintained an accurate line and length, but the batsmen were in no hurry and Sayers followed his partner to an effortless looking fifty in the afternoon session, having faced 115 deliveries and collected four boundaries.

The stand was broken on 115 in the 38th over when Ben Phillips managed to get sufficient deviation off the seam for Sayers, playing forward, to edge to Kartik at second slip.

McGrath took time to gauge the pace of the pitch and for a short period the bowlers were on top as Kartik began to wheel away at the River End.

But, although there were signs of slow turn, it proved more difficult to tie down Lyth, whose cover driving and back-foot forcing shots through the off-side kept the scoreboard ticking over.

It was one of the latter strokes off Alfonso Thomas that brought up his century with his 11th four. It was 163-1 in the 55th over and by tea Lyth was unbeaten on 113, having reached exactly 500 Championship runs for the season.

McGrath had emerged from his sketchy start to be on 31 at the break with the total 204-1 and the first batting bonus point safely pouched.

But Somerset only had themselves to blame for not sending back both batsmen immediately after tea. First McGrath, without adding, was dropped by rookie wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, two-handed diving to his right off Phillips.

Then Lyth, on 114, was missed by Marcus Trescothick at first slip, with Phillips again the unlucky bowler. This time the ball flashed to the boundary for four.

Lyth went on to equal his previous career-best score of 132, made against Notts at Trent Bridge in 2008, with a sumptuous pull for four off Charl Willoughby to the mid-wicket boundary and beat it by taking a single off the next ball.

Somerset used eight bowlers, including occasional off-spinner Nick Compton, who delivered the over before tea.

It was the eighth bowler who proved successful when, in his first over Zander de Bruyn, managed to finally remove Lyth.

The South African's innocuous looking medium pace may have induced a sense of false security as a short ball was met with a tired looking pull shot that miscued the ball to Phillips at mid-on.

"I was disappointed not to get to a hundred against Somerset at Headingley this season so it was pleasing to get across the line today and especially to score my career best," said Lyth.

"To have 500-odd Championship runs at this stage is great.

"It's a slower pitch than normal at Taunton, but it has already turned a bit for Kartik so I would expect our two spinners to do well as the match progresses. I think it will prove a good toss for us to have won."

Lyth's dismissal brought in Rudolph, already with 518 Championship runs to his credit. McGrath moved to his half-century off 147 balls with his sixth boundary, while his partner got off the mark by cover-driving de Bruyn for four.

One benefit of Kartik's arrival for Somerset was that they were able to race through their overs and could have taken the second new ball at 4.50pm with the total having progressed to 243-1.

Instead, captain Trescothick chose to persist with Kartik until the 89th over, perhaps reasoning that the ball switched to then would still be hard and relatively new in the morning.

It soon accounted for Rudolph, who after an impressive start departed for 11 to a limp drive to mid-off where de Bruyn took the catch to give Phillips a deserved second wicket.

When the experienced seamer followed up by having the ill-at-ease Gary Balance caught behind for four it took some of the gloss off Yorkshire's day.