JACK Leaning and Jonny Bairstow both posted half-centuries but Yorkshire lost two wickets in three balls shortly before tea to hamper their progression during the opening afternoon against Somerset at Taunton.

Yorkshire reached tea at 215-5 from 64 overs, losing Andrew Gale for 22, Bairstow for 50 and debutant Glenn Maxwell for a second-ball duck.

Gale was caught at first slip off Peter Trego, although Marcus Trescothick parried the catch from second to Jim Allenby. That left the visitors at 118-3 after 42 overs.

Leaning reached his 50 off 112 balls in the 53rd over, with his seventh and eighth boundaries completing a run of six fours in eight balls as he and Bairstow cashed in.

Bairstow hit four fours off Trego in the 52nd over, all leg-side, before Leaning added two more off Jamie Overton at the start of the next.

Bairstow’s arrival at the crease coincided with a marked increase in the scoring rate and he reached 50 off 58 deliveries the ball before edging Craig Overton to second slip to leave Yorkshire at 211-4 in the 61st.

It was soon five down as Australian Maxwell pushed the same bowler to cover, leaving Leaning to resume on 68 this evening with Adil Rashid for company.