Rory Burns led a strong Surrey response to Yorkshire’s first innings 521 with a largely unruffled 94 not out on Day Two at Scarborough.
A high-scoring LV= Insurance County Championship draw is already on the cards with two days remaining, after Adam Lyth and Jonny Tattersall recorded Yorkshire’s first ever triple century partnership for the sixth wicket in first-class cricket.
Lyth made 183 off 306 balls and unbeaten Tattersall a career best 180 off 344 before Burns’ effort came off 166 balls in Surrey’s 191 for one from 53 overs.
After a 40-minute rain delay started the day, Lyth and Tattersall advanced their overnight partnership of 239 to 305 during the second morning, which Yorkshire began on 364 for five and reached lunch at 489 for seven.
Lyth, who posted his highest score in a Championship home game, fell alongside Dom Bess for 29 before lunch.
Lyth pulled Conor McKerr to deep square-leg before Bess was bowled by the part-time off-spin of Will Jacks.
While Lyth led the way on day one in making 152, Tattersall played the more notable innings on day two as he added 76 to his overnight 104.
The pair broke the previous Yorkshire sixth-wicket record of 296, also involving Lyth with help from Adil Rashid against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2014.
Tattersall was particularly strong through the legside and would have hoped for a maiden double century.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, the loss of three quick wickets after lunch – all to Tom Lawes, who finished with four for 51 from 13.2 overs – kiboshed those hopes.
Jordan Thompson was lbw, Steve Patterson caught behind cutting and Shannon Gabriel bowled for a golden duck. The latter two fell to successive deliveries.
Surrey started their reply with 53 overs remaining in the day and reached tea at 80 without loss from 18.
After West Indian quick Gabriel’s golden duck, he sent down 10 no balls across two four-over spells, including getting Burns caught at slip driving with one of them on 72 after tea.
Having said that, he was far from the only one to have issues with no balls.
Surrey bowled 18, conceding 36 runs. That total was higher than any other Yorkshire batter aside from Lyth and Tattersall.
Yorkshire’s England bowler Matthew Fisher is at Scarborough this week as he continues his recovery from a back stress fracture suffered in the first game at Gloucestershire in mid-April.
Fisher has been undertaking fielding drills over the last couple of days.
Today, he gently walked through his bowling action on the outfield at lunchtime, bowling a couple of balls under the watchful eye of Yorkshire physio Harry Booker.
In Yorkshire’s last game here, against Somerset last September, Fisher claimed nine wickets in a two-day victory.
The hosts could certainly have done with him in their attack against a Surrey side whose lowest first innings total in this season’s Championship is 308.
Burns reached his fifty with a pulled boundary against Matthew Waite’s seamers off the last ball of the afternoon, off 59 balls.
He went on to share 102 for the first wicket with fellow left-hander Ryan Patel, who made 29 before being stumped against the off-spin of Bess after tea.
The quicks from both teams have all struggled to make the most of the obvious bounce on offer here at North Marine Road.
While Surrey’s performance with the ball was below par, the dominance they have shown this season was restored with bat in hand.
Having scored 77 runs in three Ashes Tests over the winter, including a high score of 34, Burns has made a pleasing return to county cricket as he went beyond 500 runs for the season in this innings.
He shared an unbroken 89 with Hashim Amla (45 not out) before close for the second wicket.
