YORKSHIRE fought back brilliantly with the ball after Jordan Clark removed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow in a remarkable hat-trick during an helter-skelter first day of the Roses at Emirates Old Trafford.

Clark’s late morning heroics ensured a remarkable start to this Roses Specsavers County Championship fixture, delayed by 45 minutes due to rain.

The seam bowling all-rounder reduced Yorkshire from 59-1 to 59-4 as Test captains Root and New Zealand’s Williamson were trapped lbw and Bairstow caught at third slip driving.

Yorkshire slipped to 78-5 in the early stages of the afternoon and were bowled out for 192 just after tea. Clark, who also affected a run out in his follow through, finished with a career best 5-58 before Lancashire were bowled out for 109 in reply - a lead of 83.

Adam Lyth’s 70 off 119 balls was Yorkshire’s standout innings after they opted for a toss and won it.

Lyth and Harry Brook repelled new ball pair Jimmy Anderson and Tom Bailey.

Graham Onions made the initial breakthrough with his second ball when he forced Brook to chop on (24-1 in the 14th over).

Root settled quickly and hit five fours in his 22, only to be undone playing forward to a full ball.

Williamson was stuck on the crease before Bairstow edged a drive to third slip, where Jos Buttler took a smart low catch diving to his left.

Onions bowled Gary Ballance as he offered no shot quickly after lunch before Clark’s day got better as he ran out Tim Bresnan backing up following a fierce straight drive from Lyth, leaving Yorkshire at 86-6 in the 29th.

Lyth reached his 50 shortly afterwards off 98 balls before Patterson helped him take Yorkshire’s score beyond 100.

This was the first Roses Championship hat-trick since Lancashire’s Ken Higgs took one at Headingley in 1986 and the fourth in this Championship fixture.

All of this from a man who, in 2013, hit six sixes in an over against Yorkshire’s second team.

Between them, Root, Williamson and Bairstow have scored 14,639 Test runs and over 30,000 in first-class cricket.

Lancashire were aided by swing under overcast skies and the Old Trafford floodlights, with Clark striking three times in the 15 minutes of extended play before lunch because of rain.

Bailey and Anderson later struck twice in two balls to get Patterson and Lyth caught at first slip at the end of the 41st over and the start of the 42nd, leaving Yorkshire at 131-8.

Clark’s maiden first-team five-wicket haul was wrapped up just after tea when Jack Brooks drove to cover and Ben Coad was bowled.

Yorkshire’s last four batsmen, Patterson (22), Brooks (14), Coad (15) and debutant Josh Poysden (20 not out) added useful runs.

Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone suffered a fractured left wrist midway through the afternoon as he attempted to take a catch at second slip and did not bat.

Alex Davies hit a punchy half-century, but Yorkshire fought back. 

Bresnan made the breakthrough when Root took a one-handed stunner at mid-wicket diving to his left following a meaty Keaton Jennings pull - 46 for one - before Patterson bowled Haseeb Hameed, who fell shouldering arms for the fourth innings running, and trapped Dane Vilas two balls later.

When Bresnan had Buttler caught behind down leg for three, Lancashire were 66 for four.

Four more wickets then fell without addition, including three in one Coad over, as the score fell to 92 for eight in the 27th.

Alex Davies was caught behind for 51 and Bailey bowled as both offered no stroke, Onions was bowled and Clark caught at deep square off Brooks, who bowled Anderson to wrap up the innings.

Patterson was delighted with Yorkshire’s comeback and also reserved praise for Clark after his memorable hat-trick.

He said: "We felt we started pretty well. We were 59-1 and set up nicely. 

“Obviously Clark got his hat-trick. To lose three players of that calibre to a hat-trick is a killer. 

“It's got to be one of the best ever based on the names he got out - three of the top 10 best in the world presently. Fair play to him.

"But I thought we battled back well from 80 odd for six. It would have been easy to be 125 all out. We'd have been really up against it then. 192 gave us an opportunity if we started well. 

"I never dreamed we'd have bowled them out. Livingstone damaging his thumb, which is unfortunate, made it a touch easier for us. The lads bowled well. 

"The last 20 overs was outstanding. 

“It swung all day and the odd one nipped. But when you got in, it wasn't a bad pitch. Lythy and Davies showed that. But it was hard to start on. Wickets fell in clusters.

"Looking back, we're delighted with where we stand with a lead of 90. We feel we can bat better second innings."

Hat-trick hero Clark said: "I was happy to get my first wicket to be honest, so to get three in row I was over the moon. It sort of took the sting out of it with the way we've gone with the bat, but we've got a big opportunity tomorrow to turn it around. 

"There's been a few shout outs on Twitter of a few good hat-tricks. Any hat-trick to me would be a great one, but to get them three is very special.

“I don’t think I’ll be forgetting this in a hurry. It will live long in the memory.