YORKSHIRE cast aside their recent batting blues by knocking up 400 against Somerset at Scarborough yesterday to take a maximum five batting points for the first time since the opening match of the season.

Their run bonanza gave them a hefty first innings lead of 218 and they were very much in command when Somerset closed on 12 for two, Darren Lehmann being brought on for the final over of the day to claim the wicket of Mark Lathwell.

The solid foundations to Yorkshire's innings were carefully laid by Lehmann and David Byas but it was only spectacular late hitting from Chris Silverwood which brought up the 400 with just one ball to spare of the 130 overs allowed for bonus points.

The sun-drenched crowd of over 3,000 roared their approval as Silverwood thrashed 48 off just 45 balls with three enormous sixes and five fours, the last two wickets adding 52 from 40 deliveries.

Silverwood hooked Peter Trego for six and cover drove his next ball for four before taking 16 off an over from Graham Rose with two sixes and a four. His finest shot, however, was a forcing boundary through mid-wicket off Trego which matched anything seen in the match so far.

Matthew Hoggard helped Silverwood put on 23 for the ninth wicket but when he was bowled by Trago at 371, Ryan Sidebottom came in with Simon Widdup as his runner, the batsman having strained hip muscles while bowling on the previous day, and he made his own vital contribution with a straight driven three in the 130th over.

Silverwood deserved a half-century for his adventurous display but in the next over he swung at Trego and was bowled.

Lehmann and Byas were already in harness when Yorkshire resumed the second day on 144 for three and an hour's careful batting was needed for them to make the 38 required to put Yorkshire on level terms.

They continued to advance steadily, Lehmann keen to make further progress towards becoming the first batsman in the country to reach 1,000 runs, and Byas determined to find some decent form at last.

Lehmann's seventh half-century came up shortly before the stand went into three figures and the pair were still together at lunch when Yorkshire were 229 for three.

After the interval Lehmann decided to have a go at left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell who had begun with four consecutive maidens and he spoiled his figures with a big six over mid-wicket sandwiched between two fours.

But Lehmann took one liberty too many and a rash drive at Blackwell to a ball wide of off-stump sailed gently to Jamie Cox at mid-on, Lehmann having made 77 off 152 balls with ten fours and a six, his stand with Byas producing 130 runs in 49 overs.

Byas completed his first half century of the season and was looking set for his first century in two years when he fell lbw to Steffan Jones for 84 from 249 balls with ten boundaries.

Yorkshire should now have been scoring more freely but Richard Blakey had downed anchor so firmly that he could hardly move at all and when Gary Fellows reached 13 he overtook the wicketkeeper who had been in 29 overs longer.

Fellows played some good shots in his 22 before being lbw to Rose and Blakey's resistance finally crumbled when he played over a ball from Michael Burns and was bowled for 24 in 40 overs and 112 balls, but the tempo was soon dramatically changed by Silverwood.

Somerset had 14 overs in which to bat and Hoggard struck a great blow by pinning Cox lbw with a late inswinger. It was a most fitting and distinguished dismissal for his 100th first class wicket for Yorkshire.

An inspired piece of captaincy brought Yorkshire another wicket in the final over. Lehmann was called up to bowl his left-arm spin and his fifth ball had Lathwell lbw offering no stroke.

SCOREBOARD

PPP healthcare County Championship

Yorkshire v Somerset

at Scarborough

Somerset first innings: 182

Yorkshire First Innings

Widdup c Blackwell b Trego 44

Vaughan c Parsons b Rose 30

McGrath c Parsons b Trego 27

Lehmann c Cox b Blackwell 77

Byas lbw b Jones 84

Blakey b Burns 24

Fellows lbw b Rose 22

Silverwood b Trego 48

Hutchison lbw b Burns 0

Hoggard b Trego 7

Sidebottom not out 4

Extras lb13 w8 nb12 33

Total (130.1 overs) 400

Fall: 1-49 2-99 3-114 4-244 5-296 6-321 7-342 8-348 9-371

Bowling: Rose 27-3-90-2 Jones 24-5-67-1 Burns 20-5-75-2 Trego 26.1-6-84-4 Parsons 18-5-42-0 Blackwell 15-7-29-1

Somerset Second Innings

Cox lbw b Hoggard 7

Lathwell lbw b Lehmann 4

Holloway not out 1

Extras 0

Total 2 wkts (13.5 overs) 12

Fall: 1-8 2-12

Bowling: Hoggard 5-3-2-1 Silverwood 6-4-9-0 Hutchison 2-1-1-0 Lehmann 0.5-0-0-1