Yorkshire may still be heading towards defeat after two days against Lancashire at Liverpool – but this was a much improved display with the ball.

Andrew Gale’s men endured a demoralising first day when they were bowled out for 141 on Wednesday.

But they returned today and battled hard to restrict the Red Rose lead, keeping their scoring rate to 2.89 runs per over.

There is still, however, a major amount of work ahead as Lancashire closed on 327-8 from 113 overs, 186 runs ahead going into tomorrow’s third day.

But things could have been worse.

“It was a tough day, but the bowlers had to work hard,” said Bradfordian leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who has figures of 1-94 from 30 overs. “The wicket was dead and easy to bat on.

“But all the bowlers bowled well. We kept the pressure on pretty much all day.

“We’ve come back (from being bowled out for 141) and tried to get it right, and we have done to a certain degree.”

Paul Horton and Mark Chilton scored 93 off 199 balls and 77 off 174 balls respectively for the hosts.

They were happy to slowly build a lead rather than take any risks.

The White Rose only took one wicket in each of the first two sessions, with Steve Patterson (2-51 from 24) trapping Karl Brown lbw during the morning.

Horton and Chilton patiently shared 81 for the third wicket, with the former dropped by Simon Guy off Rashid before lunch.

However, Rashid and Guy combined in the afternoon to remove Horton seven runs short of a third Roses century, leaving the score at 150-3 in the 57th.

Chilton and Steven Croft (41) united to share 90 for the fourth wicket before the former departed early in the evening session. And that was the start of Yorkshire’s best spell of the day.

It looked a strange decision from Gale to delay taking the new ball until the 102nd over but one that paid off.

Bradford-born pace bowler Moin Ashraf and part-time off-spinner Joe Root accounted for three wickets for four runs.

Ashraf had Chilton caught at first slip by Adam Lyth before Root bowled Croft and had Gareth Cross lbw with consecutive deliveries, Lancashire slipping from 240-3 to 244-6 in the 91st over.

Ryan Sidebottom got two further wickets, bowling Farveez Maharoof (34) and trapping Glen Chapple lbw, but Lancashire had already edged their way beyond a lead of 150 and remain in the box seat.