Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow prepared departing gifts for Yorkshire by reaching landmarks against Derbyshire at Headingley as they prepare to leave county cricket to concentrate on international matters.
Root hit an unbeaten 191 while Bairstow finished unbeaten on 74 at tea on the third day as Yorkshire progressed to 385-3, still trailing by 90 runs, after exploiting batsman-friendly conditions and the loss of seamer Tony Palladino from Derbyshire’s attack with a side strain.
Their unbroken 139-run fourth-wicket stand was all the more useful as it could be their final Yorkshire appearance for a while before international commitments take them elsewhere.
Both players are required for England Lions against New Zealand at Leicester next week, prior to the start of the two-match Test series.
The day began with Root, who has already hit a match-winning 182 to help secure a thrilling victory at Durham on Saturday, progressing to another century with a clip through mid-wicket off seamer Jonathan Clare midway through the morning session.
Derbyshire’s only breakthrough of the morning session came two overs later when Root’s mix-up with Phil Jaques led to the Australian batsman being run out for 39 after changing his mind about stealing a quick single.
Captain Andrew Gale’s early-season struggles continued when he also fell shortly before lunch, picking out mid-off as he attempted to drive former Yorkshire spinner David Wainwright down the ground.
Those setbacks were overcome by Yorkshire’s fourth-wicket stand, with Bairstow reaching his first championship half-century of the summer off 83 balls to ensure both batsmen are in good touch for England duty.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here