YORKSHIRE ENJOY BATH BATTING PARADISE

The home side declared at lunch at 553-5 after Mike Burns had taken his score to 221, the highest ever by a Somerset batsman against Yorkshire.

Mark Lathwell also batted brilliantly to be just two short of a century when Jamie Cox closed the innings. The former England batsman had faced only 109 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes.

Soon Somerset's seamers were finding life just as tough as their Yorkshire counterparts, offering little threat as Matthew Wood and Scott Richardson began to take some revenge.

Both openers had reached half-centuries in a total of 119 without loss when the rain, which had been threatening, brought an end to the day's play after 29.3 overs of the Yorkshire innings.

Earlier Burns had finally fallen to a catch at the wicket having batted for more than seven and a half hours, facing 367 balls and hitting 28 fours and a six.

After sharing stands of 206 with Cox and 161 with the other Matthew Wood playing in ths match, Burns helped Lathwell add 132 for the fourth wicket before departing with the total on 525. He had come in at 26-1.

Lathwell was denied a century before lunch by the tim it took to retrieve the ball after his third six off Middlebrook. It sailed over the hospitality marquees and into a car park.

After a year out of the game following knee surgery in 1999, Lathwell struggled to rediscover his best form last season but he has now passed 50 in five of his nine Championship innings this summer.

NOW IT'S YORKSHIRE'S TURN TO ENJOY BATTING PARADISE

The home side declared at lunch at 553-5 after Mike Burns had taken his score to 221, the highest ever by a Somerset batsman against Yorkshire.

Mark Lathwell also batted brilliantly to be just two short of a century when Jamie Cox closed the innings. The former England batsman had faced only 109 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes.

Soon Somerset's seamers were finding life just as tough as their Yorkshire counterparts, offering little threat as Matthew Wood and Scott Richardson began to take some revenge.

Both openers had reached half-centuries in a total of 119 without loss when the rain, which had been threatening, brought a halt to the innings after 29.3 overs.

Earlier Burns had finally fallen to a catch at the wicket having batted for more than seven and a half hours, facing 367 balls and hitting 28 fours and a six.

RECORDS TUMBLE AS BURNS HITS DOUBLE HUNDRED

Unbeaten on a career-best 162 at the start of play, the 32-year-old reached 221 before finally falling trying to sweep James Middlebrook with the total on 525.

Burns became Somerset's highest-ever scorer at Bath, beating the 206 made by Mark Lathwell in 1994. And when he passed 217 he became the county's top scorer against Yorkshire, a record previously held by Viv Richards.

Burns' innings lasted seven hours and 46 minutes and included 28 fours and a six. After the early loss of debutant Matthew Wood for 71, Lathwell joined the run feast with a brilliant unbeaten 98.

The former England batsman hit three big sixes off Middlebrook and might well have scored a century before lunch had it not taken several minutes to retireve the ball from one of them

Yorkshire had to settle for just one bowling point as the 130-over mark had been passed by the time Burns and Rob Turner (4) had been dismissed.

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Date-stamped : 15 Jun2001 - 02:55