YORK'S Jack Leaning admitted it was good to get “the monkey off his back” after his first County Championship century had helped give Yorkshire a chance of a remarkable victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Leaning’s 198-ball 116, which included 11 fours and one six, helped Andrew Gale’s men reply to Nottinghamshire’s 428 with a first innings total of 441, with Rich Pyrah adding a useful 37 and Tim Bresnan hitting 34 off 49 balls.

In their second innings, Nottinghamshire were 74-3 at the close, a lead of only 61, with the first two wickets being taken by Sheriff Hutton Bridge teenager Matthew Fisher, who had Steven Mullaney lbw for 20, and Bresnan, who had first innings double-centurion Alex Hales caught by wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd for two.

That scalp spared the blushes of Leaning, who had dropped Hales off Fisher when the Notts number three was on nought.

There was more joy for Yorkshire when Jack Brooks bowled Brendan Taylor for 32, leaving James Taylor and Will Gidman to see their side to the close.

It was still Leaning’s day, though, and his broad smile proclaimed the fact. “It was nice to get the monkey off my back after making 99 at Arundel and this is a nice place to play cricket,” he said.

“I had a good pre-season when I felt in good nick and I was pleased to take that form on. I just took it one ball at a time, and Rich Pyrah and I managed to get into some good rhythm.

"All I can do is take my opportunities and try to do enough to hold my place when the Yorkshire players return from the West Indies.”

The York batsman had passed 50 for the fifth time in his first-class career when Yorkshire’s batsmen scored 98 runs in the morning session for the loss of Gale, who was caught at slip by Riki Wessels off Harry Gurney without adding to his overnight 13.

At the interval, Leaning was on 65 not out and Pyrah was unbeaten on 29.

The undoubted highlight of the afternoon was Leaning reaching his maiden hundred which he managed with a scrambled single off Mullaney, and although he was eventually brilliantly stumped by Chris Read off Samit Patel for 116, Yorkshire were still well-placed on 434-8 when the players came in for tea.

In all, 112 runs were scored and four wickets fell in that eventful afternoon session of play with Pyrah and Hodd, who made six, falling to Vernon Philander, and the wickets of Bresnan and Leaning being claimed by Patel.

Yorkshire added only seven runs to their total in the evening session, Jack Brooks being caught at point by Will Gidman off Harry Gurney for five and Fisher falling lbw to Patel for nought. The Notts slow left-armer finished with 4-102 and Gurney took 3-90.