Clark and Jarvis put Roses match in Lancashire's favour

Jordan Clark (84*) and Kyle Jarvis (57) shared a record-breaking stand for Lancashire's last wicket to give the Red Rose county a memorable day against Yorkshire in the Specsavers County Championship.

Both batsmen achieved career-best scores to take Lancashire from 299/7 at the start of the second day to 494 all out, with the tenth-wicket partnership adding 109 runs to set a new record for Lancashire against Yorkshire. Clark was initially assisted by Arron Lilley (45 off 39) who helped the home side to add 87 runs for the eight wicket in just 79 balls, before Jarvis hit his first half-century in first-class cricket.

Lancashire added 195 runs in the space of 37 overs to reverse the damage of yesterday evening, with Yorkshire having the hosts on the ropes when they claimed six wickets for 61 runs after Haseeb Hameed's century had set a strong platform at 238/1. Yorkshire then responded with a watchful approach, reaching 136/2 after 62 overs, with Alex Lees (62*) and Andrew Gale (36*) sharing a necessary and circumspect partnership worth 81 runs in 42 overs.

After a spirited comeback from Yorkshire's bowlers on the previous day, Clark and Lilley were forced to play with a degree of positivity to restore Lancashire's position in the match. Lancashire secured a third batting with the second ball of the day with four byes, with Jack Brooks completing an over from yesterday evening.

This largely set the tone for a thoroughly enjoyable morning for Ashley Giles' side, with Lilley finding his rhythm quickly with two boundaries in quick succession off Ryan Sidebottom. Lilley played with a typically aggressive approach, but he was also happy to pick the gaps, guiding Adil Rashid's second ball of the day down to vacant third man for one of eight boundaries hit by the Lancashire off-spinner.

Rashid (1-149) was treated with utter distain by both Clark and Lilley, with the latter twice lofting the England leg-spinner back over his head to bring up the fifty-partnership in only 35 balls. The third boundary of an expensive Rashid over saw Lancashire reach 350 and a fourth batting point, as Clark continued to play more technically-correct strokes through the covers on his way to a second first-class fifty.

A straight drive took Lilley to within five runs of a fifty of his own, but Steven Patterson (1-69) responded with a rising delivery, forcing Lilley to swat and edge behind to Andrew Hodd for a quickfire 45 from 39 deliveries, ending the 87-run stand with Clark for the eighth wicket. 

In an otherwise perfect morning session, Lancashire did surrender their ninth wicket inside the 110th over when Nathan Buck (1) shuffled across his stumps to Tim Bresnan and was trapped lbw to give Yorkshire maximum bowling points with two balls to spare.

Clark took Lancashire to 400 and achieved his half-century in 66 balls in the same over from Patterson, before Jarvis clattered Bresnan back over his head for the first of two sixes to be hit by the Zimbabwean. The last wicket shared the first fifty runs came in 66 deliveries, with Clark recording a new career-best score when he beat the 63 he made against Surrey at The Oval last season.

Lancashire forced Yorkshire's dejected bowlers to carry on for another half hour in an extended morning session, as Jarvis continued his assault by bringing up his first ever fifty in style with a second maximum, this time lofting Rashid back over his head to reach his half-century in 84 balls.

Clark and Jarvis enjoyed Lancashire's best ever tenth-wicket partnership against Yorkshire, with the former whipping a handsome six over long-on to bring up the hundred-partnership in 136 balls. Jarvis continued to play with excellent conviction straight down the ground, driving Rashid for his fourth boundary, before the leg spinner had him out lbw for 57, as Lancashire finished on an incredible first-innings score of 494 after starting the day on 299/7.

High on confidence from his exploits at the end of Lancashire's innings, Jarvis (1-32) delivered a probing opening spell alongside Buck, striking a breakthrough in his seventh over when he had Adam Lyth trapped plumb lbw for 25 at 38/1. Lancashire had a second wicket just before tea when Tom Smith (1-13) struck at the end of his second over, extracting an edge from Jack Leaning (7) to Liam Livingston at first slip to leave the visitors in trouble heading into the final session of the day.

However, the club captain and one-day skipper duo of Gale and Lees ensured that the Tykes would survive the rest of the day unscathed, adding a watchful partnership worth 81 runs either side of tea to end the second day on 136/2, still 358 runs behind Lancashire. Lees took his side beyond 100 when he hit Buck for back-to-back boundaries on his way to a 155-ball fifty, with Gale adopting a cautious method in the closing stages of the day, frequently padding away to Simon Kerrigan (0-12) when he was able to do so.