Wharton, Hill fifties fortify Yorkshire in face of Doggett's Durham

James Wharton, George Hill and Dom Bess all scored battling half-centuries as Yorkshire had the better of a hard-fought opening day of Rothesay County Championship cricket against Durham at the Banks Home Riverside.

Durham's Australian overseas seamer Brendan Doggett impressed with 4 for 69 from 19 overs as Yorkshire closed the day on 295 for 8 from 81 overs, with bad light ending the day early.

Yorkshire No. 3 Wharton made 69 off 109 balls at the start of the day as both sides jostled for position after the hosts had elected to bowl in favourable conditions before seventh-wicket pair Hill and Bess asserted their county's authority either side of tea with a 105-stand.

Hill added 64 off 88 balls, while Bess backed up his second-innings century in last weekend's win over Worcestershire with 57 not out off 79.

Yorkshire combatted a Durham attack who failed to create enough pressure, including England seamer Matthew Potts, who went wicketless in 17 overs.

Wharton was one of overseas recruit Doggett's victims, as were openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean.

This is a clash between two neighbouring counties who have made contrasting starts to the summer. Durham sit bottom of the embryonic Division One table having lost two from two. Yorkshire, meanwhile, have lost one and won one - the latter by 504 runs at home to Worcestershire last weekend.

After Alex Lees won the toss, he would have hoped for more from his bowlers. There was obvious swing on offer, though Yorkshire's top order weren't made to play enough against the new ball.

Durham did improve, and openers Lyth and Bean - having shared 43 - both fell to Doggett in the 18th over as part of an even morning. Lyth, on 28, will have been particularly frustrated to miscue a loose pull to square-leg before Bean was trapped lbw playing back to a ball short of a good length.

Doggett had Dawid Malan caught at first slip for 18 as he half pushed forwards - 92 for 3 in the 36th over.

Wharton, Hill and Bess will take Yorkshire's acclaim. While Bess has previously played for England, that is the aim for Wharton and Hill - two 24-year-olds who Yorkshire have high hopes for.

This was a particularly important innings for Wharton given that in Yorkshire's next game, against Warwickshire at Headingley from May 2, Joe Root and Harry Brook are both available.

One man who will definitely play in that fixture is captain Bairstow, who contributed 22 in a brief 27-ball innings of two halves. It took Bairstow 11 balls to get off the mark, but when he did he hit Potts for five fours in six balls across two overs in a brief showing of the England stalwart at his buccaneering best.

Unfortunately for Bairstow, he was trapped lbw playing back against Ben Raine just as Yorkshire were beginning to assert their authority on proceedings, leaving the score at 137 for 4 in the 47th over.

Wharton was dropped in the slips on 52 just after Bairstow's departure, Colin Ackermann the culprit off Raine. And while that didn't cost Durham too much as the right-hander fell shortly afterwards when he pulled Doggett out to deep midwicket - 165 for 5 - Durham will reflect on a couple of missed opportunities throughout the day.

Yorkshire lost a sixth just before they reached 200, with the seam of their former all-rounder Will Rhodes getting Mathew Revis caught at first slip. But just when you thought Durham's bowlers would assert themselves, Hill and Bess had other ideas.

After Wharton had reached his fifty off 85 balls earlier in the day, Hill got to his off 71 and Bess 62, the latter's including a pulled six.

Just before the light closed in, Raine struck twice in two balls with the new ball, getting Hill caught at second slip and Jordan Thompson at mid-on. But this was Yorkshire's day.