ADIL Rashid and Tim Bresnan scored valuable half-centuries to engineer an impressive Yorkshire fightback after a nightmare start to their Specsavers County Championship match against Lancashire at Headingley yesterday.

Yorkshire slumped to 74-5 during the opening session of this clash between the reigning champions and current leaders, including losing Alex Lees and Gary Ballance for ducks.

Kyle Jarvis struck three times as Adam Lyth, Jack Leaning and Andrew Gale also fell before lunch.

But all-round pair Rashid and Bresnan excelled against a Red Rose side who had taken up the option to bowl first to ensure a close of play 301-9 from 95.2 overs.

Rashid's 88 represented his fifth score of 50-plus in 17 Roses innings, while Bresnan posted 69 in his first Championship match of the season following injury.

They shared 136 inside 47 overs for the sixth wicket before falling as two of three wickets shortly before the second new ball.

Steve Patterson and Andrew Hodd, who received his first-team cap before play, also put on 75 for the ninth wicket after tea as they posted 41 not out and 40 respectively.

"Considering we were 70-5, to get 300 and something for nine, it was a good effort from the lower order," said Rashid.

"There's a bit in the pitch. There's a bit more uneven bounce than we're normally used to here. But if you put the ball in a good area on any pitch, generally, things tend to happen.

"That's what happened for them – and hopefully we can do the same."

Lancashire enjoyed the ideal start when Tom Bailey had Lyth caught behind in the first over, leaving the score at 4-1.

Steven Croft took the catch, with the Lancashire captain taking the gloves in this match following an injury to Alex Davies in a Twenty20 on Friday and Jos Buttler's unavailability due to a heavy international schedule.

Croft has only ever kept once in senior cricket – a T20 friendly on pre-season in 2013.

Jarvis then had Lees, Ballance and Leaning all caught in the slips before New Zealand Test quick Neil Wagner trapped Gale (36) lbw.

Thankfully from Yorkshire's point of view, they were able to recover – as is so often the case – as Rashid and Bresnan united from late morning until early evening.

Their contributions went a long way to ensuring three batting bonus points when, at one stage, none was realistic.

They both fell as two of three wickets to go for 16 runs inside nine overs shortly before the second new ball was taken, leaving the score at 226-8.

Rashid chipped Simon Kerrigan's left-arm spin to cover and Bresnan inside-edged Wagner behind.

Patterson and Hodd then further frustrated a Lancashire side who have won three of their first five matches.

Patterson hit Kerrigan for six to continue his excellent form with the bat after a career-best 63 in the draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in April. Hodd fell in the final over when caught at leg-slip off Wagner.

Meanwhile, Ryan Sidebottom is expected to be out for another four to six weeks after suffering an incomplete fracture of his fibula in a dressing room accident, understood to have involved a football, at Warwickshire on day one.

The injury was exacerbated while bowling on day three.