Replying to Middlesex’s 446, Yorkshire collapsed from 88 for 2 to 178 for 9 to a mixture of poor shot selection and some probing bowling, particularly by Toby Roland-Jones who took the key wickets of Adam Lyth and Peter Handscomb.
The only prolonged resistance for Yorkshire came from Gary Ballance, who held the innings together with an unbeaten half-century, and a composed 38 by teenager Harry Brook. They closed on 186 for 9, trailing by 260.
A total of 446 might have been short of what Middlesex had targeted when they had been 364 for 4 but with deliveries starting to keep low on a pitch which has baked in 30-degrees heat for the last two days Yorkshire’s batsmen found it tough.
Lees (4) could consider himself unfortunate to fall leg before to a ball which pitched well outside the line and a brief spell of Yorkshire supremacy followed as Lyth and Brook, an 18-year-old from Keighley making his Championship debut, added 68 for the second wicket.
Brook revelled in his surroundings and was soon scoring runs all around the wicket including six fours, two of them off successive balls from Steven Finn.
But shortly after tea off-spinner Ollie Rayner surprised him with extra bounce and Brook was well held at short leg by Steve Eskinazi. Lyth (37) had gone just before tea when medium-pacer Ryan Higgins beat his defensive shot to claim his maiden Championship wicket.
Toby Roland-Jones returned with an impressive spell from the Nursery End which gained its reward when Handscomb (15) edged to slip on the drive before Finn returned to bowl Adil Rashid (0) off an inside edge for a duck and later have Ben Coad (14) caught behind.
Andy Hodd (0) bottom-edged a pull at Tim Murtagh onto his stumps before Higgins returned to pick up Steve Patterson (1) and Jack Brooks (0), to a ball which scuttled onto his stumps.
Ballance enjoyed some luck but passed 50 for the eighth time this season when he drove Rayner back down the ground for his ninth four just before stumps.
Yorkshire had dominated the first session, taking the last six Middlesex wickets for 80 runs before the hosts were dismissed just after lunch.
The key dismissal was that of Sam Robson, who batted for just short of seven hours for his 159 when he drove at Coad and was caught behind, having faced 290 balls and hit 19 fours.
Coad broke through again 13 balls later when a nip-backer removed Higgins’ off stump for 13 to give him his 33rd wicket of the season.
His double strike also checked Middlesex’s charge towards maximum batting points, which they failed to achieve, and they lost two further wickets just before lunch during an excellent spell by Ryan Sidebottom from the pavilion end.
The veteran left-armer struck twice in nine deliveries as John Simpson (49) played on looking to guide the ball to third man and Rayner (2) was held at mid-on off a spliced pull.
After lunch, Rashid finished things off when Roland-Jones (33) drove to cover and Finn failed to pick his googly.
Alex Lees fell for four, lbw to Toby Roland-Jones although the ball pitched outside off stump, but Adam Lyth and 18-year-old debutant Harry Brook put on 68 for the second wicket with Lyth contributing 37 before he was caught behind off a ball angled across him from Nick Higgins, who claimed his first Championship wicket.
Brook impressed with 37 not out including six fours, two of them taken off successive deliveries from Steven Finn.
Earlier, Yorkshire had taken six wickets for 80 runs as Middlesex, who had begun the day on 337 for 4, were dismissed for 446.
Ben Coad and Ryan Sidebottom each took two wickets with Coad picking up Sam Robson for 159 after the Middlesex left-hander had batted for just under seven hours.
After lunch, Adil Rashid polished off the innings when Toby Roland-Jones (33) drove to point and Steve Finn was lbw to his googly for four. Rashid finished with 3 for 94 but pick of the attack was Sidebottom, who finished with 3 for 69.
Coad removed Sam Robson for a magnificent 159 when the left-hander played a rare false shot in an innings of nearly seven hours duration, driving loosely to be caught behind. He faced 290 balls and hit 19 fours.
Coad, who had replaced Jack Brookes at the Nursery End, broke through again 13 balls later when a nip-backer removed Ryan Higgins’ off stump for 13.
The wickets stymied Middlesex’s charge towards maximum batting points, which they failed to achieve, and they lost two further wickets just before lunch during an excellent spell by Sidebottom from the pavilion end.
The veteran left-armer struck twice in nine deliveries as John Simpson (49) played on looking to guide the ball to third man and Ollie Rayner (2) was held at mid-on off a spliced pull.
Toby Roland-Jones was unbeaten on 24 at lunch with Middlesex 421 for 8.
Sam Robson hit a season’s best 152 while Paul Stirling posted a maiden championship century as Middlesex reached 337 for four to dominate the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match with Yorkshire.
A Lord’s crowd approaching almost 4,000 enjoyed the dominance of bat over ball as third-wicket partners Robson and Stirling batted 45 overs – including the entire mid-session – in adding 187 on yet another placid pitch at the ‘Home of Cricket’.
Sydney-born Robson, who won the last of his 7 Test caps against India in August 2014, batted throughout the hottest day of the year to date to reap his 18 boundaries and ensure that the title-chasing visitors will have to play at their absolute best to force any sort of positive result over the remaining three days.
Batting first after their side won the toss, home openers Nick Compton and Sam Robson posted 64 for the first wicket in the face of some reasonable new-ball bowling from Ryan Sidebottom and Jack Brooks.
Robson posted the first boundary after 30 minutes when he rocked back and latched onto a short one from Brooks to find the ropes at extra cover, while at the Pavilion End Sidebottom, although frugal, was guilty of bowling too wide to be at his most effective.
Compton equalled his season’s best of 22 but then pushed with hard hands at one from Steven Patterson to feather a catch through to Andrew Hodd behind the stumps.
First change bowler Ben Coad enjoyed no luck from the Nursery End but Brooks might have struck with his first ball of a new spell when Robson, on 31, drove back firm and low only for the bowler to spill the tough chance. Brooks saw another chance go begging when Alex Lees, diving full-length to his right in the gully, downed a one-handed catch off Stevie Eskinazi, who had yet to get off the mark.
Brooks opted for a more direct route to wicket-taking four balls later to peg back Eskinazi’s off pole via the inside edge as the Middlesex right-hander offered a crab-like defensive prod.
Robson reached a deserved 81-ball 50 soon after lunch as he and Stirling went on to dominate the mid-session. In searing heat, Yorkshire introduced England wrist-spinner Adil Rashid and off-spinner Adam Lyth but all to no avail the third-wicket partners added an unbroken 153 through to tea.
Soon after the resumption, Robson – in only his fourth start of an injury ravaged season – late cut Rashid for three to reach his second century this summer from 184-balls and with 12 boundaries.
Then Stirling, who had given Robson a 36-run start, reached his maiden championship century from 119 balls. He hit 15 fours and a six into the Allen Stand to move past his previous best of 85, scored against Somerset here last summer. It was Stirling’s first hundred for two years, his four other first-class hundreds had all been for Ireland, and it came four years after his championship debut for Middlesex.
Yorkshire’s wait for a breakthrough came to an end after 45 overs when Stirling departed lbw for 111 after aiming an ambitious pull to an Adil Rashid top-spinner. He and Robson had added 187 runs.
Middlesex skipper James Franklin marched out to help Robson see off the second new ball and raise their side’s third batting bonus point but, with his score on 17 Franklin had his off stump pegged back by Ryan Sidebottom, just two deliveries after surviving the veteran left-armer’s prolonged lbw appeal. It proved Yorkshire’s final success of a long, hot day in the dirt.
Middlesex went into the game without Nick Gubbins and Tom Helm, on England A duty, while Yorkshire, also hampered by full England calls, gave a first-class debut to teenage batsman Harry Brook.
Middlesex third-wicket batting partners Sam Robson and Paul Stirling dominated the mid-session to take their side into tea sitting pretty on 228 for two on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship encounter with Yorkshire.
In searing heat, Yorkshire introduced England wrist-spinner Adil Rashid and off-spinner Adam Lyth after the lunch interval but all to no avail as Stirling and Robson ploughed on to add an unbroken 153 through to tea as the visitors toiled for a couple of hours without a breakthrough.
Robson, in only his fourth start of an injury ruined season, went in for his sandwiches unbeaten on 97 having almost been caught by Stirling on 92 not out. Stirling reached his third 50 of the summer from 69 balls and with nine fours.
Middlesex went into lunch on 82 for two after the opening session of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Yorkshire.
Batting first after winning the toss, home openers Nick Compton and Sam Robson posted 64 for the first wicket in the face of some reasonable new-ball bowling from Ryan Sidebottom and Jack Brooks.
Robson posted the first boundary after 30 minutes when he rocked back and latched onto a short one from Brooks to find the ropes at extra cover.
Compton equalled his season’s best score of 22 but then push with hard hands at one from Steven Patterson only to feather a catch through to Andrew Hodd behind the stumps.
First change bowler Ben Coad enjoyed no luck then Brooks might have struck with his first ball of a new spell from the Nursery End. Robson, on 31, drove back firm and low but Brooks was unable to cling on to the tough chance.
Brooks then saw another chance go begging when Alex Lees, diving full-length to his right in the gully, downed a one-handed catch off Stevie Eskinzi, who had yet to get off the mark.
Brooks opted for a more direct route to wicket-taking four balls later to peg back Eskinazi’s off pole via the inside edge as the Middlesex right-hander offered an ugly, crab-like defensive prod.
Middlesex went into the game without Nick Gubbins and Tom Helm, on England A duty, while Yorkshire, also hampered by full England calls, gave a first-class debut to teenage batsman Harry Brook.
