CHAMPIONS, so it is often said, reserve their very best form for the visits of challengers.

And for the first two sessions of this game at Headingley, this axiom seemed valid as Yorkshire dismissed the current LV= Division One leaders Middlesex for 212 with Jack Brooks taking a season’s best 5-44.

By the close, however, the match was much more evenly balanced after Middlesex's seamers had taken four prime wickets inside the first 16 overs of Yorkshire’s reply to reduce the home side to 52-4 before the in-form pair of Jack Leaning and Jonny Bairstow had added a further 44 to take their side through to 96-4 at the close.

Leaning and Bairstow’s coolness was very welcome after Adam Lyth had nicked Toby Roland-Jones to one.

The loss of Alex Lees, also caught by Rayner at slip, and Andrew Gale, lbw for 18, helped to increase suspicions about the Headingley wicket but this pitch, while helpful, did not justify the loss of 14 wickets in the day, a point made clear by the fine innings of 70 played by Middlesex’s Nick Compton.

Yet the first day of this game also offered another illustration of the talent possessed by Brooks.

The seamer struck in the fourth over when he had Joe Burns lbw for four. Sam Robson and Compton then added 62 in 21 overs before Brooks struck from the Kirkstall Lane End when he bowled Robson for 41.

After lunch the visitors immediately lost Dawid Malan, caught by Bairstow off the excellent Steve Patterson for nine, and Brooks then had Neil Dexter also caught by the keeper for a duck to leave the visitors on 92-4.

But the real excitement of the afternoon did not come until off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took the wickets of James Franklin, caught at short leg by Leaning for three, and John Simpson leg before for nought.

With his side on 119-6, Ollie Rayner launched a counter-attack, hitting five fours before being bowled through his legs for 20.

The wicket of Compton fell to Brooks when the batsman edged the seamer to Leaning at third slip. His 70 was made off 171 balls with nine boundaries

Patterson had Toby Roland-Jones lbw for 11 before Harris, having made 22 and added 24 runs for the last wicket with Murtagh, hooked Brooks to Ballance at long leg.

Brooks received a standing ovation from the delighted Headingley crowd. Maxwell collected 3-55 and Patterson 2-42. A tense match is in prospect.