Jonny Tattersall and Adam Lyth at home in Scarborough

CIARAN McCARTHY AT NORTH MARINE ROAD: Many of Yorkshire's batters have lived in the shadow of Harry Brook this season. But with the 23-year-old away on England duty, it was time for somebody else to stand up. Lyth and Tattersall did that and more

Jonny Tattersall’s maiden LV= Insurance County Championship century and a century for Adam Lyth underpinned the efforts of Yorkshire against Surrey on the first day of their four-day game at Scarborough.

Many of Yorkshire’s batters have lived in the shadow of Harry Brook this season, paling in comparison to his impressive knocks time and time again. But, with the enigmatic 23-year-old - who has hit 926 County Championship runs this season - away on England duty, it was time for somebody else to stand up. Lyth and Tattersall did that and more.

Before today, Lyth had hit 326 first-class runs this season, and one century at Scarborough. Now, he has 478 and two 100s at the outground.

Tattersall hadn’t even played a Championship game this season, but he made batting look like the easiest thing in the world, and capped off his performance by raising his bat.

Lyth looked chanceless for pretty much the entire day. While partners fell around him, he remained in control.

His opening partner George Hill failed to survive the first over, caught at first slip by Ryan Patel without troubling the scorers. No.3 James Wharton (3) departed not long after, rooted on the crease by Tom Lawes.

^{Jonny Tattersall [Jan Kruger/Getty Images]}

Lyth had no such problems in getting his eye in, though. He marked his arrival at the crease with a cut for four off Lawes, and soon set about punishing poor deliveries, clattering the same bowler for six into the Popular Stand, and then four the very next ball through the leg side.

Will Fraine came and went for 14 by the 18th over, and with wickets tumbling, you’d be forgiven for assuming the bowling was tight. That memo must have missed Lyth, as he continually picked off anything off line. He made short work of Conor McKerr’s first over, flicking him for four into the leg side as the bowler strayed off his mark, and he followed that up by pumping him for six towards the West Stand. Anything short, Lyth did not take kindly to.

Will Luxton - making his first-class debut - took some of the strain off his partner when he entered the crease, his free-flowing style reaped rewards as he managed 31 runs, including five boundaries. Lyth happily sat back, shifting down the gears as Luxton played his shots.

Jamie Overton was the only bowler that Lyth didn’t seem to have gotten the hang of initially, as his short balls were more well directed than others, and as such, more difficult for the opener to get away. Whenever Overton got fuller, though, Lyth jumped in. He took advantaged of anything full from him, and he played with freedom.

When Luxton fell, strangled down leg off Jacks into Ben Foakes’ gloves, just after the lunch break, Lyth took the reins yet again, despite Matthew Waite looking in control. Though as most who came before him, he did not last too long, making just 15 before he was caught in the slips off Dan Worrall, who was one of Surrey’s better bowlers.

Tattersall’s arrival at the crease marked a shift in the balance of the game. Surrey had seemed on top, taking three wickets in the opening session and two fairly early in the second, but those would soon dry up, as he and Lyth matched the bowling perfectly.

Lyth played some fantastic shots as he made his way to 50, doing so in 108 balls. He left well, much of the time on length, given Surrey’s tall seam attack. He shifted through the gears beautifully, as one would expect a man with his nous to do.

He and Tattersall rotated well, trusting in each other’s abilities. While Lyth was the main aggressor, Tattersall also had his moments early on, one shot in particular stood out, as he cut the ball behind square on the offside off Rory Burns, bisecting a pair of fielders on the way to the fence for a beautiful boundary.

Yorkshire’s score ticked on, and the chances became fewer and fewer; both Lyth and Tattersall grew in confidence by the over. Lyth played well through the covers time and time again. Over after over, he was hitting glorious shots, and Tattersall did the same.

Lyth’s confidence was obvious as he climbed towards his hundred, and the pair of beautiful shots he played against Overton in the 49th over proved how well he was seeing it. He crunched the first - a full delivery - for four through cover point, and the second, on a good length, he climbed into, flaying a genuine cover drive to the fence, putting to bed any concerns on his ability to play the bowler.

^{Harry Brook is on England duty [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

As he entered the 90s, Lyth became ever so slightly frenetic, scampering two off Will Jacks to keep himself on strike, and nicking a quick single the following ball.

It was off Jacks that Lyth and Tattersall’s partnership - which had already passed 50 - might have ended, with the former sending his partner back, as a very tight run out call was given not out, which would come back to bite Surrey.

The nerves settled, though, when Lyth skipped down to Jacks and deposited him back over his head for six, making his way to his 28th first-class century in the process. A great shot to cap off a fantastic innings, and at a ground he is so fond of, having played club cricket here.

Tattersall made his first half-century of the season not long after, following the lead of his partner, after the pair had reached their 100 partnership. He played some glorious shots on his way there - a crisp drive back past McKerr one of the highlights. He capitalised on a short ball from Jacks to make it to the milestone, turning it into the leg side for four, reaching his 50 in 95 balls.

Milestones came thick and fast; Lyth and Tattersall’s 150 partnership soon followed the latter’s half-century, and Yorkshire’s score continued to climb at a good rate.

Lyth maintained Yorkshire’s tempo throughout along with his partner, the only time he looked out of sorts was when he chipped one back over McKerr’s head, which for half a second looked like a chance before it safely evaded his grasp. Overton’s short stuff became less effective against the opener, too, when Lyth uppercut a full-blooded bouncer to the fence in front of the pavilion, inches away from creeping for six.

When the new ball was taken, things might have gotten harder for Yorkshire. However, Lyth seemingly took no notice to the fact that the ball was, in fact, new. The second over after it was taken, he climbed into a back-of-a-length delivery from Aaron Hardie, smashing him to the leg side boundary.

A chance did come soon after the new ball was taken. Tattersall guided one to Jacks at second slip, though somehow it came out of his grasp. Tattersall took the most of the lifelines offered to him, continuing on in his tidy manner despite chances. His measured approach reaped rewards, as his score ticked on.

While it was clearly a graft, it never looked as if he had to go into overdrive, just tick along. Eventually, with no more than a few overs remaining in the day’s play, he reached the elusive first Championship century, from 211 deliveries, smashing a loose ball from Overton to the rope on the leg side to cap off a wonderful innings, for a very well-deserved milestone.

Tattersall basked in the glory of his century following the end of play, though he was not thinking too far ahead at the start of his innings: "Just wanted to go in, rebuild, soak up a bit of pressure," he says. "I think we did that, Lythy continued the way he was playing and I think we’re in the box seat."

^{Will Jacks gave Tattersall a lifeline [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Tattersall looked in good touch, and it is obvious he feels as good as his free nature at the crease would suggest.

"I’ve felt good all season. Took me a little bit of time to get into my rhythm, but when I did I felt comfortable."

The wicketkeeper recalls nearing a century at Scarborough previously, and did not want to fall short again this time. "I noticed I was getting to a hundred, and that might have played on my mind. But this year I’m just trying to throw caution to the wind. Whatever will be will be," he said.

"I was nice and calm out there, having a lot of fun, and that’s why we play the game."

On the final ball of the day, Lyth made his way to yet another milestone, flicking Patel to the rope for his 150, doing so in 265 deliveries. Tattersall was very complimentary of his partner, with whom he put on a stand of 239.

"I had a feeling that he was going to score runs this game. Obviously he was pretty faultless, showed great composure. He’s batted all day in that heat and has shown concentration throughout."

Yorkshire finished the day on 364 for 5, which could have been very different, had Surrey taken their chances throughout the day, and not bowled as many as 18 no balls.

Tattersall is keen for himself and Lyth to pick up where they left off tomorrow: "Try keep batting, see how far we get, hopefully we can see off a little bit more of that new ball and give us that licence to accelerate the run rate. Take a bit of momentum into the bowling."

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