Root inspires Yorkshire recovery against Sussex

LV County Championship Division One, Scarborough
Close of play, day two: Sussex 398, Yorkshire 251-4
Sussex 4pts, Yorkshire 3pts
Match scorecard
Live commentary

Joe Root scored a classic maiden first-class century to bring relegation-threatened Yorkshire back into the match against Sussex at Scarborough.

The 20-year-old England Lions batsman was still there at the close with 111 as Yorkshire reached 251-4.

Earlier in the day, Mike Yardy was out for 130 as Sussex, 335-5 overnight, were bowled out for 398.

But Root revived the Tykes' hopes of beating the drop with 18 boundaries in a chanceless century off 188 deliveries.

Replying shortly before lunch to the visitors' first-innings score of 398, Yorkshire suffered a blow in the third over when acting captain Jacques Rudolph was out for only a single.

But Root, who also plays for Sheffield Collegiate, the same club for whom Michael Vaughan first stepped out, came to the rescue.

After Joe Sayers went cheaply too, Root was aided first by Anthony NcGrath (29), then in a stand of 71 with Jonny Bairstow (33).

And he has so far put on 95 for the fifth wicket with Gary Ballance (45no).

Sussex had a chance to take control of the game when they resumed in the morning, but Yorkshire hit back well by claiming the last five wickets for 63.

In the day's first over, having added just four to his overnight 126, Yardy edged Ryan Sidebottom into Bairstow's gloves to give the former England left-arm paceman his first five-wicket haul since returning to his native county at the start of the season.

Umpire Trevor Jesty spent an hour off the field with a sickness complaint early in the day.

Former Yorkshire and England all-rounder Craig White, now the county's deputy director of cricket, came on to stand at square leg for a few overs until being replaced by 75-year-old local umpire Fred Bernard.

Bernard returned an hour before the close when Jesty was forced from the field again.