CENTURION Jonny Bairstow heaped praise on opening duo Alex Lees and Will Rhodes for laying the foundations for an impressive opening day of Yorkshire’s LV= County Championship match against leaders Durham today.

After losing the toss at Emirates Durham, the visitors were forced to navigate favourable bowling conditions against a league-leading attack including ex-international seamers Graham Onions and John Hastings.

And they managed it, clocking up 329-6 despite an afternoon wobble that saw them slip from 82-1 to 152-5.

The majority of that was down to unbroken seventh-wicket pair Bairstow and Tim Bresnan, who shared 138 inside 29 overs and finished on 102 and 66 not out respectively.

They scored the majority of 154 runs in 32 overs after tea, but that could not have been done had Lees and Rhodes not shared 56 in 24 overs before lunch.

Lees made 40, his highest score in ten Championship innings, and Rhodes 24 having returned to the top of the order now that Adam Lyth is preparing for the Ashes.

"To be put in was not necessarily ideal," said York ace Bairstow, who reached a 126-ball ton in the penultimate over of the day with 16 fours.

"We'd have bowled first as well, but the way the openers applied themselves in the morning session - to bat for an hour and a half without losing a wicket on day one at the Riverside when the clouds are in - was fantastic.

"Rhodesey having opened, then batted at eight and then coming back in and opening. And we know how good Leesy is. I can't speak highly enough of them.

"You know what it's like up here. You only have to look at the scores over a sustained period of time. You know how one session can change the game. The way they applied themselves was highly skilful and hopefully it's set us up.

"We want to bat as long as we can. There is no other plan. We've got an important job in the morning, to get as many runs as we can - whether that takes three hours, six or one, that's our job.

"It was pretty tough (the pitch) and we are looking forward to bowling on it.

After 53 overs, Yorkshire were only 124-2 against some accurate bowling, particularly from Hastings and Jamie Harrison, who finished with two wickets apiece.

After Harrison, playing his first Championship match since last May following knee surgery, bowled Rhodes and Jack Leaning for 28, Hastings got Andrew Gale and Aaron Finch caught in the slips.

Gale was brilliantly caught one-handed by Paul Collingwood running back from first slip after the Yorkshire captain had fended at a short ball from the miserly Australian.

Bairstow and Bresnan, however, changed the momentum during an evening session which saw only one wicket fall - Adil Rashid caught at first slip off Chris Rushworth.

They played positively against the old and second new ball without taking too many risks and the visitors are now in sight of five batting points.

Bairstow has been in exceptional form since returning from England’s tour of the Caribbean in early May.

He has scored three fifties and three hundreds in eight Championship innings and now must be in the minds of the England Test selectors should there be an injury to a frontline batsman.