Jonny Bairstow and James Taylor score Division One centuries
Sunday 19 July 2015 20:44, UK
Jonny Bairstow staked his claim for a Test berth in the strongest possible way on the first day of Yorkshire's County Championship match against Worcestershire at Scarborough.
While England crumbled at Lord's, Bairstow continued the best batting form of his career by powering his way to 139 off 183 balls with 18 fours and a six to give him 906 runs in 11 innings at an average of 100.66 since returning to Yorkshire's Championship side.
Skipper Andrew Gale ensured this was no one-man show by the County champions as he also struck an attractive 127 not out and featured with Bairstow in a fourth-wicket stand of 254 in 58 overs.
Yorkshire, who won the toss, closed on 357-5. Bairstow and Gale did a magnificent repair job after Joe Leach – one of the stars of the county season – removed Alex Lees (12), Will Rhodes (nine) and Jack Leaning (17), leaving them 57-3.
Bairstow finally fell for 139 to Brett D’Oliveira, and Saeed Ajmal snared Adil Rashid (nine) but Tim Bresnam (17no) kept Gale company until stumps.
Jonathan Trott's highest score for Warwickshire since retiring from international cricket helped to earn his side a narrow advantage over Somerset at Edgbaston.
Trott struck a typically measured 87 to steer Warwickshire to 319-8, a lead of 54 after two days at Edgbaston.
Trott batted with untroubled fluency before falling to Craig Overton's first delivery with the new ball, just as a 38th first-class century was beckoning.
Trott's work and that of Ian Westwood, who made 66, and Sam Hain, unbeaten on 78, suggested Somerset's 265 all out on the first day was an under-achievement in decent batting conditions.
However the visitors stormed back in the last session when Overton and Alfonso Thomas took five wickets in 10 overs with the new ball.
Rising star Hain stayed solid, three days after his 20th birthday, to complete an unflustered half-century, his fifth fifty to go alongside five hundreds in 18 first-class matches.
James Taylor scored his first Championship hundred of the season as Nottinghamshire dominated an absorbing first day against Sussex at Horsham.
The 25-year-old has had a modest season by his standards but he chalked up his third score of over 150 against Sussex in recent years, this time 163no as the visitors closed on 358-5.
He turned the game around too, with his team limping on 30-3 early on. But Taylor and Riki Wessels (94) put on 144 to get their team back in the game.
Ollie Robinson (4-81) dismissed Wessels and Samit Patel in quick succession, but Taylor and Chris Read (54no) made hay in the afternoon sun, adding another 172 runs before stumps.
It was honours just about even at the Ageas Bowl where Durham closed the first day on 278-6 against Hampshire.
Jackson Bird pinned in-form Durham skipper Mark Stoneman in front for a duck, five balls after the opener won the toss and chose to bat.
The Aussie nearly had Scott Borthwick next ball, but Liam Dawson, recalled from a loan spell at Essex, shelled the catch at second slip.
James Tomlinson, left out of Hampshire’s last two matches, trapped debutant Graham Clark (eight) in front before veteran all-rounder Paul Collingwood (eight) chipped to Jimmy Adams at mid-off.
Dawson dropped Borthwick for a second time on 15, but had the last laugh when he had him lbw to the last ball of the morning session attempting to play an ugly sweep - departing for one short of a third fifty in four innings.
Mark Richardson (91) and Gordon Muchall came out after the lunch break with survival on their mind and steered Durham back on track with a hard grafted 142-run stand.
Richardson in particular impressed with his slow-paced 122 ball fifty – his fourth of the season - before his batting partner reached the same milestone in an equally sluggish 136 balls.
Neither batsmen offered a sniff of a chance until Bird made the double breakthrough with the second new ball.
Bird fashioned an in-ducker to Richardson, who did not offer a shot as he was struck in front, before Pringle edged to James Vince at first slip next ball.
Usman Arshad blocked out the hat-trick delivery, and survived along with Muchall (85no) until stumps.
