ALEX Lees made his first fifty in a home County Championship match this season as Yorkshire progressed to 96 for two on the first morning of their Specsavers Division One match against Middlesex at Scarborough.

Having won the toss and opted to bat first. the home side suffered an immediate reverse when Adam Lyth was caught behind by John Simpson off the first ball of the game when he just failed to withdraw his bat sufficiently from a ball slanted across him by Tim Murtagh.

However, Lees and Kane Williamson responded to this setback in fine style by putting on 85 in 25 overs before Williamson departed for 28 in similar fashion to Lyth when a ball from James Franklin just caught the edge of his bat when he was tempting to let the ball go.

By that stage, however, Lees had reached his fifty off 70 balls with a straight six off Ollie Rayner, the ball being caught by a spectator in the Peasholm Park stand, and the left-handed swept the spinner for another maximum two overs later.

At lunch, however, Yorkshire could be pleased with the progress they had made off the 30 overs bowled. Lees was 59 not out, while Gary Ballance was unbeaten on four.