Surrey openers Mark Butcher and Ian Ward took advantage of some sloppy Yorkshire bowling when the championship leaders resumed their first innings in murky light at Headingley today and the pair had put on 77 together in 21 overs.

Ian Ward took a single off Chris Silverwood's first ball and it proved to be an expensive over because Butcher, who scored a century on the ground for England in the Test match, then helped himself to a couple of boundaries.

Left-arm swing bowler Paul Hutchison bowled from the Football Stand end with greater accuracy than Silverwood but both batsmen played and missed several times as they took risks in the murky light.

Butcher knew little about his edge to the third man boundary off Hutchison who then beat him outside off-stump but too many deliveries did not require the batsmen to play.

The green pitch had made batting difficult for Yorkshire when they struggled to 250 for nine declared but it was probably even more demanding today because there seemed to be extra variable bounce.

Silverwood's poor spell came to an end at 44 when he was replaced by Gavin Hamilton who got a ball to shoot through like a marble for four byes.

Hamilton produced some excellent deliveries but also lacked control and was square driven for four by Ward.

Then Matthew Hoggard was introduced into the attack to try to bring Yorkshire the wicket they so badly needed.

Yorkshire were held together yesterday by patient half-centuries from Craig White, who opened the innings with Michael Vaughan, and skipper David Byas, who has rapped out four centuries in the five previous championship encounters at Headingley this season.

White reached his season's best score of 55 off 177 balls with eight fours before be nibbled at one from Ben Hollioake and was caught in the slips while Byas was lbw pushing forward at Butcher for 52.

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