County Championship: Middlesex start well after huge Yorkshire total

Jonny Bairstow completed an excellent 160 and George Hill hit a career-best 169 not out as Yorkshire declared on 601-6 during the second afternoon of the County Championship Division Two clash with Middlesex.

However, on a benign pitch, the visitors should be confident of claiming a draw after closing on 141-1 in reply.

Bairstow, with a point to prove after being dropped from all England squads this summer, advanced from 107 overnight.

The 34-year-old shared a record 238 stand with all-rounder Hill, who posted a first hundred of the season.

Leg-spinner Luke Hollman was Middlesex’s standout bowler with 4-194 before Sam Robson led the way at the start of their first innings with a measured 65 not out.

The Bairstow-Hill partnership marked Yorkshire’s highest sixth-wicket stand in first-class matches against Middlesex.

This was not the rampaging Bairstow that Yorkshire and England fans have come to expect in recent years. While he was still positive, he was extremely responsible.

That was in part due to the fact that when he united with Hill, Yorkshire were 242-5 and by no means certain of an imposing total.

Hill, who survived a missed stumping on 64 before lunch off Hollman, reached his ton off 169 balls before lunch.

Bairstow, who is not keeping wicket in this game, was bowled off an under-edge as he attempted to pull Hollman – the only Yorkshire wicket to fall on day two.

Hill and Dom Bess then shared an unbroken 121 for the seventh wicket, the latter contributing an unbeaten 60 in the sunshine.

Yorkshire’s innings lasted 144 overs, and it was clear their first priority was not to lose the game, knowing a defeat would hand Middlesex a potentially defining result in the promotion race.

Bess claimed the only Middlesex wicket to fall when Mark Stoneman edged to slip for 27, but opening partner Robson shared an unbroken second-wicket stand of 80 with Max Holden.