Saif Zaib and Tom Taylor scored rearguard fifties on Day 2 as Northamptonshire claimed the advantage in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley.

The seventh-wicket pair shared 92 in 41 overs either side of lunch to secure a 28-run lead on first innings at 234 all out.

Unbeaten Yorkshire, having made 206 on day one, closed on 43 for three from 20 overs in their second innings to undermine hopes of a third win in four Group Three matches.

Zaib made 55 off 134 balls and Taylor 50 off 143 after the visitors had slipped to 81 for five from 36 without loss overnight.

Seam and swing trio Steve Patterson, Jordan Thompson and David Willey took three wickets apiece as Yorkshire impressively claimed seven slip catches. 

Ben Sanderson, Wayne Parnell and Gareth Berg then all struck for Northamptonshire before the close.

The visitors lost five morning wickets, including four for five in 26 balls as they slipped from 76 for one to 81 for five. Patterson and Thompson struck twice in that collapse. Harry Brook’s one-handed effort diving to his right at third slip to help Thompson remove Luke Procter before lunch was the pick of the catches. Eight of the 10 Northamptonshire wickets fell to catches behind the wicket.

From 81 for five, Zaib and all-rounder Taylor dug in superbly. The caution displayed by left-handed Zaib and Taylor was entirely understandable. It took the visitors almost 44 overs to score their 100th run of the day.

Zaib posted his fifty off 127 balls before losing his middle stump whilst driving at Willey’s left-arm pace shortly before tea – 173 for six.

Taylor reached the same milestone off 138 in the early stages of the afternoon. But he fell without further addition when bowled past the outside edge by Dom Bess, leaving Northamptonshire at 199 for seven.

Willey then struck twice more with the new ball against his home county, he had Parnell and Simon Kerrigan caught in the slips before Thompson’s third wicket – that of Sanderson – wrapped the innings up.

With a short session to work with before the close Sanderson forced Kohler-Cadmore to feather behind, Parnell trapped Will Fraine lbw and Berg had Adam Lyth caught at third slip to leave Yorkshire in trouble at 43 for three at the close with a lead of 15.

Yorkshire 206 (Parnell 5/64, Berg 3/32) & 43/3 (Berg 1/0, Parnell 1/14)
Northamptonshire 234 (Zaib 55, Taylor 50)

Full scorecard.