Yorkshire 292-4 (90 overs)
Sussex 222 (99.5 overs)
Adam Lyth’s fifth Rothesay County Championship career century on his home ground at Scarborough helped take him beyond 1,000 runs for the summer and put Yorkshire in charge of their clash with Sussex at its halfway stage.
Lyth, aged 37, learnt his trade on this ground as a junior and still lives in neighbouring Whitby. He just loves this place and it showed with 115 off 233 balls, including 16 fours.
Day two was almost the perfect day for the ex-England Test opener, who ensured the White Rose county replied strongly to Sussex’s first-innings 222 all out with 292-4 from 90 overs.
Lyth and third-wicket partner James Wharton, who contributed 85 off 130 balls, shared 168 either side of tea after Sussex had started the day advancing from 210-9. Danny Lamb top-scored with 48, Jack White finished with three wickets.
While Sussex, placed fifth before this 11th round Division One fixture, will still be looking over their shoulders, this is a far more important game for ninth-placed Yorkshire, inside the bottom two in the top-flight table.
Matt Milnes wrapped up the Sussex innings in the day’s fourth over when he had Lamb caught behind tentatively playing forwards two runs short of his first fifty of the season.
Both sides then had success through until lunch, at the start of Yorkshire’s reply.
Fin Bean, who made 21, whipped a six over midwicket which was caught by a youngster in the crowd.
Lyth, meanwhile, continued his excellent form against the red ball this season and Pakistani debutant Imam Ul-Haq started brightly. His first three scoring shots in 19 were all boundaries.
But Sussex chipped away late in the morning.
Lamb’s seam accounted for Bean, caught behind off a top-edged pull, before Jack Carson’s off-spin had Imam caught at slip pushing forwards in the last over of the session, leaving Yorkshire 80-2.
Lyth went to 50 for the eighth time this season in the heart of the afternoon session, off 117 balls.
An impressively watchful effort on a pitch with some juice in it, which has not been easy to score runs on, Lyth and his third-wicket partner quietly put their county into a very strong position.
Wharton claimed a stunning outfield catch at deep square-leg to help White claim the first wicket of the match early on day one. But, as good a fielder as he is, run-scoring is his main suit.
And he did it well on day two.
He was more aggressive than Lyth, highlighted by successive sixes off Carson to move into the forties and take his side to 161-2. The first was pulled, the second lofted handsomely over long-on.
Wharton reached his seventh fifty of the season shortly afterwards, off 79 balls, and by this stage him and Lyth were upping the ante.
Lyth reached the 1,000 mark just before tea where Yorkshire got to in rude health at 199-2 from 58 overs. This is the third successive season he has achieved the feat.
Lyth’s third Championship century came up in 200 balls just after tea, with Yorkshire taking the lead moments later.
Sussex’s attack, missing the likes of Jofra Archer because of England and Ollie Robinson through injury, came under increasing pressure.
But credit to them, they hit back midway through the evening to get rid of Lyth and Wharton inside three overs, leaving Yorkshire 250-4 in the 74th.
Lyth was stumped by John Simpson off Carson – two for 70 from 28 overs – and Wharton bowled by the left-arm spin of James Coles.
Matthew Revis and Harry Duke then saw the day out for Yorkshire with 22 and 20 respectively.
