ADAM Lyth and Jonny Bairstow marked their returns to Yorkshire action with a half-centuries on the opening day of the clash with Hampshire at Headingley.

Opener Lyth, who along with Bairstow and four other Yorkshire players spent the first month of the season in the West Indies with England, fought his way to 53 off 112 deliveries after captain Andrew Gale won the toss and opted to bat.

But after being dropped by wicketkeeper Lewis McManus on 39, Lyth eventually fell to the bowling of Andre Adams early in the afternoon session.

He shared a stand of 52 for the third wicket with Gale, who himself made 30 before handing Adams his second wicket, as the Tykes pushed on following a determined showing prior to lunch.

The loss of Gale brought Bairstow and Jack Leaning together and the wicketkeeper wasted no time in forcing the issue as he registered a 46-ball half-century, including two sixes off Fidel Edwards.

Bairstow and Leaning added an unbroken 129 for the fifth wicket as the hosts went to tea on 243-4, with Bairstow on 88 not out and Leaning 37 not out.

Yorkshire had lost Alex Lees in just the third over after he was lbw offering no shot to James Tomlinson, before Che Pujara dug in alongside Lyth.

The pair added 48 for the second wicket before the India batsman, having already survived a run-out chance and being dropped, was caught at second slip by Sean Ervine off the bowling of Tomlinson.

Yorkshire left out Liam Plunkett following his arrival back from the Caribbean after the paceman failed to attend Saturday’s photocall and final training session in what the club described as a breach of the team’s strict code of discipline.