Jonathan Bairstow today showed that the old adage about waiting ages for a bus before three come along at once can also apply to first-class centuries.

At the start of May the Yorkshire youngster had yet to pass the three-figure mark, before he made two in one innings to reach 205 against Nottinghamshire.

Now he has a third ton after an effortless innings of 136 at Taunton helped the Tykes to a first-innings total of 358 on day one of their LV= County Championship match against Somerset.

Bairstow’s innings was undeniably helped by some wayward bowling, a good pitch and a lightening outfield but he was in imperious form from the moment he strode to the crease.

Yorkshire were 75-3 at this stage, with Adam Lyth (39), Joe Root (19) and Bradford-born Anthony McGrath (9) all out, before Bairstow got going to lead the recovery.

He did almost chop onto his stumps three times before reaching his half-century but, having rode his luck early on, his second 50 came in just 53 balls to reach the 100 mark having plundered an impressive 18 boundaries.

This catapulted Yorkshire to 259-4 by tea, with Bairstow and Gary Ballance – who made 61 – then continuing their assault on the home attack during the final session.

The pair moved the score on to 305 before the 167-run partnership was broken when Bairstow was bowled by Charl Willoughby.

This wicket was the catalyst for a dramatic collapse before the close, with the Tykes’ last six wickets falling for only 53 runs.

It meant Yorkshire missed the chance to pick up maximum batting bonus points and, with Taunton normally a batsman’s paradise, they may yet be made to pay for the late-order disappointment.

By the close Somerset had negotiated four overs to reach 7-0, leaving them 351 runs behind.