Yorkshire 326 (82.5 overs)
Sussex 189 (73.5 overs) 26-0 (10 overs)
Sussex trail Yorkshire by 111 runs with 10 wickets remaining
England’s Jonny Bairstow contributed a combative 57 – his first first-class fifty since last July – as Yorkshire took charge of their Vitality County Championship clash with promotion rivals Sussex after two days at Scarborough.
Bairstow came in immediately after lunch with Yorkshire 104-3 in reply to Sussex’s 189 all out, the visitors’ first innings wrapped up in the day’s second over.
The 34-year-old shared 90 with fourth-wicket partner Will Luxton, the fledgling batter whose 59 represented his career best score in only his fourth appearance.
Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson claimed an excellent season’s best five for 83 in 20 overs as Yorkshire were bowled out for 326, a lead of 137. The visitors closed their second innings on 26 without loss from 10 overs.
Bairstow’s innings was what Yorkshire and England fans have come to expect but not without luck as he was dropped on 38 and 51.
The latter was by England team-mate Ollie Robinson as he ran in from mid-on following a top-edge at left-arm seamer Sean Hunt.
Bairstow was quickly into the battle. After driving his first ball for four down the ground off Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Robinson thought he had him caught behind on four. It seemed as if the pair had words, as they did again the following ball when Bairstow missed an attempted expansive drive.
The batter stomped down the pitch to talk to his batting partner as Robinson (two for 57 from 21.5 overs) stared.
Both men are aiming to rekindle Test careers which stalled following England’s new year tour to India.
There was no doubt that Bairstow won today’s battle – and Yorkshire, who have had the best of batting conditions, could go on to claim victory over the Division Two leaders over the next couple of days.
During his afternoon innings, including seven fours and a six in 72 balls, Bairstow successfully drove two boundaries off Robinson, he lofted Hudson-Prentice’s medium pace over mid-on’s head twice and pulled Hunt for six two balls after Robinson’s drop.
While all the focus will be on Bairstow, who last posted a red ball fifty in the final Test of last summer’s Ashes at the Oval in late July, Luxton was just as good but in more watchful fashion during his 130 balls.
The fact that he didn’t score in the afternoon’s opening 50 minutes, stuck on 27, indicated that.
There had been some doubt as to whether play would start on time due to a gale-force wind. But it did and four morning wickets fell.
The first saw Jordan Thompson trap Hunt lbw to wrap up the Sussex innings and claim his third wicket, leaving Tom Alsop unbeaten on 86.
Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat left Yorkshire at 31-2 as Adam Lyth played on for 24 before getting Fin Bean, the other home opener, caught behind.
James Wharton and Luxton shared a dashing 73, with the former pulling Hunt for six. But Hudson-Prentice limited Wharton’s contribution to 40 when, in the final over of the morning, he had him caught at first slip – 104-3 in the 26th over.
That brought Bairstow to the crease and, when he departed before tea, lbw to Carson’s off-spin as he played back, he thought it may have been outside the line of off-stump.
Umpire Tom Lungley disagreed and Yorkshire were 194-4 in the 48th over.
Carson added three more evening wickets as Luxton was bowled, Jonny Tattersall lbw and George Hill caught at mid-on, leaving the hosts at 248-7 in the 66th over – a lead of 59.
Robinson had Matthew Revis caught in the slips for 34 and Dan Moriarty caught behind to wrap up Yorkshire’s innings.
Sandwiched in between, Carson bowled a paddling Ben Coad. But Sussex were hurt by a swashbuckling 44 not out with four sixes as Thompson built the Yorkshire lead.
Bad light later cut Sussex’s second innings short by five overs.
