YORKSHIRE’S Adam Lyth has already become the first batsmen in the country to reach 1,000 LV=County Championship runs this season, but he is showing no signs of slowing down yet.

Once more the 23 year-old was in imperious form for the Tykes to reach his eleventh half-century of the season yesterday, as the White Rose fought back on day two of their clash with Essex.

His fine innings of 75 helped them to 227-5 at the close, meaning they are only 172 runs behind their host’s first-innings total.

“He has played superbly all season,” said captain Andrew Gale. “It was a bit disappointing that he did not go on to get a really big score but that is being ultra critical.”

Lyth’s inability to reach three-figures in the East Anglian sunshine is the only frustrating aspect of his game at the moment.

A remarkable thing to say of someone who has reached 1,142 runs already may be, but his dismissal at the County Ground was the seventh time this season that he has been out within 25 runs of a century.

Imagine how many he would have scored by now if only half of those had been converted to three figures and more.

His innings was still vital to Yorkshire’s performance at Chelmsford, which leaves the game intriguingly poised at the mid-way point.

First of all it was Adil Rashid who excelled on a hot day. He picked up three-early wickets to help make sure the home side collapsed from 353 for six overnight, to 399 all out.

It meant the in-form leg spinner finished with season-best figures of 5-87 and the theme of Yorkshire being on top had been set for much of the day.

Certainly the start Jacques Rudoph and Lyth made with the bat suggested Yorkshire knew they had some momentum.

The two of them raced to 81 before the home sizeable home crowd had something to cheer about when Rudolph nudged a short Andy Carter delivery to Alastair Cook at first slip for 32.

Anthony McGrath then quickly came and went for only 11, but Lyth continued to punish the Essex attack until he was surprisingly clean bowled around the legs by Chris White.

His wicket was one of three to fall in the final session to take the gloss off a good performance for Yorkshire, with Jonathan Bairstow, who made 18, and Andrew Gale (47) also back in the pavilion.

Fortunately Gerard Brophy, who is not out on 25, and Tim Bresnan, who is unbeaten on three, made sure the home side would have no more success.

The Tykes plan now is to get as close to Essex’s first-innings total as possible.