RICH PYRAH’S maiden LV= County Championship hundred has given Yorkshire hope of turning their ongoing clash with Lancashire at Headingley on its head.

The 28-year-old all-rounder shared a fantastic 154 in 30 overs with Ryan Sidebottom after seeing their colleagues slump to 45-8 inside 24 first innings overs after Lancashire had been bowled out for 328 during the opening hour of yesterday’s second day.

Pyrah reached three figures off 91 balls, including eleven fours and three sixes, to help take the hosts past 200 and secure an unexpected batting bonus point.

Kyle Hogg took the first five Yorkshire wickets with an accurate spell in helpful conditions, although Pyrah and Sidebottom, who finished with 52, proved that runs could be scored.

They shared the highest ever ninth-wicket partnership on this ground in Championship cricket.

Pyrah finished with 117 off 126 balls, adding one more four, to help his side post 239.

He then saw best mate Tim Bresnan steam into Lancashire’s top order, taking two wickets to leave them tottering at 33-3 from 15.1 overs at close.

The Red Rose lead by 122 ahead of day three, and have the edge but Yorkshire can still remarkably claim their third four-day win of the season.

“With us 50-8 and the ball doing a bit, to go on and get a hundred that gets us back in the game is quite special for me,” said Pyrah, whose innings came on the 30th anniversary of England’s famous come-from-behind Ashes win here in 1981. “It was very special for me to get my first Championship hundred, especially against Lancashire.

“In the position we were in, it was important that we came out and played positively, and I got away with it early on. Me and Siddy, who played a great knock at the other end, took it on.”

Hogg had Joe Root caught behind, Jacques Rudolph caught slashing to gully for 12 and removed Andrew Gale, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance all lbw.

The seamer took two wickets in two balls twice, getting Rudolph and then Gale and Bairstow and then Ballance.

But Pyrah, Sidebottom and Bresnan (19), who replaced Iain Wardlaw in the side, made batting look pretty easy before Bresnan had Stephen Moore and Paul Horton both caught at second slip by Anthony McGrath to leave the visitors at 3-2.

Bresnan drove from Lord’s after being left out of the England side, only arriving at 2pm when Pyrah, who pulled all three of his sixes, and Sidebottom were going strong.

“To have Brezzy at the crease when I got my hundred was great,” added Pyrah. “He bowled well at the end there too.

“The momentum’s all with us. If we can get a few early wickets, we’re well in the game.”

Yorkshire were given a further boost when Ajmal Shahzad had Karl Brown caught behind with the first ball of the day’s last over.

Earlier, Shahzad and Sidebottom struck to wrap up Lancashire’s first innings.