On the third day of the Vitality County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, Yorkshire strengthened their grip with an Adam Lyth hundred and fluent half-centuries from England's Joe Root and Harry Brook.
The visitors started the day on 57 without loss in their second innings, with a lead of 120. They ran up 434 for six before declaring in the final session, setting their opponents a highly unlikely 498 to win. Lyth scored the highest with 113, while Root, Brook, and George Hill contributed 51, 68, and 58 respectively.
By the end of the day, Gloucestershire had slumped to 97 for four, with Ollie Price remaining unbeaten on 44. Heavy rain is forecast overnight, but it may not be enough to save a team that has not won a Championship in 19 months.
Lyth was unbeaten on 39 when play began and soon moved to a flawless fifty off 61 balls, hitting nine fours. Finlay Bean demonstrated his team's desire for quick runs by hooking Marchant de Lange for six over fine leg.
Bean scored a half-century off 78 balls before Lyth increased the tempo by hitting three consecutive fours through the off-side off de Lange.
Lyth had only one nervous moment when he survived a confident appeal for a catch behind off de Lange when he was on 93. He then reached a hundred off 120 balls, compiled in an apparently effortless style with 18 fours.
In the 38th over, with the opening partnership having reached 180, Gloucestershire skipper Graeme van Buuren took a wicket with only his fourth ball of the day. Bean was pinned leg-before by the left-arm spinner as he attempted a forcing shot off the back foot.
At lunch, Yorkshire was leading by 257 with a score of 194 for one. The only question was how long they would choose to bat. They continued to bat through the afternoon session and beyond in bright sunshine.
Lyth was caught at short third-man off van Buuren while attempting a reverse sweep. The Gloucestershire skipper added a third wicket when Shan Masood, who had reached 40 not out from 52 balls, was brilliantly stumped by James Bracey off a delivery that went between his legs and momentarily eluded the wicketkeeper.
At that point, Yorkshire were 272 for three, with Root well set. His only mistake was attempting a reverse-scoop off Josh Shaw, which only scored a single over Bracey's head. He progressed serenely to fifty off 56 balls, with four fours and a six.
Root fell to Bracey's brilliance as the keeper dived full-length to his left to hold a one-handed leg-side catch off Zaman Akhter. Brook reached a chanceless half-century and was unbeaten on 51 when tea was taken at 365 for four.
He faced 57 balls, hitting nine fours and a six before being caught at deep mid-wicket off de Lange. Despite this, Yorkshire continued to bat with a lead of 456. Hill also contributed to the attacking shots, scoring a fifty in 54 balls with five fours and a six before being caught at wide long-on off Price.
Gloucestershire had 26 overs to bat after Masood's declaration. However, their second innings began poorly when Chris Dent, on five, clipped a ball from Ben Coad off his pads and directed it straight to Bean at leg-slip.
Cameron Bancroft and Price added 41 runs without any trouble until Bancroft, on eight, was caught behind while trying to drive Matt Milnes. Miles Hammond came in and immediately went on the offensive.
The left-handed batsman hit five fours and a six, scoring 35 runs quickly. His approach was unsuitable for a team trying to save the game, and he got out while attempting another big hit. He was caught at mid-wicket by Brook off the left-arm spin of Dan Moriarty with less than three overs remaining in the day.
Nightwatchman Josh Shaw lasted only six balls before being dismissed lbw by Matt Fisher. Gloucestershire lost a position that could have given them hope on the final day.