JACK Brooks and Will Rhodes helped ensure that Yorkshire had retained a slight advantage when bad light and rain brought an early end to the second day of the county champions’ match against Middlesex.

Brooks played an important role at Scarborough – first by making 19 and helping Andy Hodd add 35 runs in just 4.2 overs for the last wicket.

That lively stand hoisted Yorkshire’s first innings total to 406 after Gary Ballance had been caught and bowled by James Franklin for 132 halfway through the first session at North Marine Road.

But Yorkshire’s number 11, who only just recovered in time from a quad muscle injury to play in this match, opened his account with a six over long leg.

And his partnership with Hodd revived a Scarborough crowd after Yorkshire had subsided to 334-8 before Patterson and Hodd added 37 for the ninth wicket.

Middlesex had reached 130 for two in the final session when the weather closed in but Brooks was eager to stress that this Yorkshire side regards batting as an 11-man operation.

"It was a nice way to get off the mark and I went out there with the intention to be positive and bat as long as I could," he said.

"I wanted to get Andy on strike but he just told me to keep hitting the ball and I got lucky a couple of times.

"Steve Patterson and I are both capable of hanging around and scoring quickly if needs be and it helps having someone like Andy at the other end who can farm the strike and hit boundaries if needs be.

"We bat all the way down, we all work hard and we all call ourselves all-rounders. It’s part of the team ethos that we pride ourselves on."

That Yorkshire ethos also includes sheer bloody-minded persistence and accuracy when opponents bat.

And that was also needed as the Middlesex openers, Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins added 87 for the first wicket before that man Brooks had Robson caught by Rhodes at square leg for 40 when the batsman skied an attempted pull.

Gubbins followed two overs later when he moved across the crease and was leg before to Rhodes for 47.

But Stevie Eskinazi and George Bailey ensured that Yorkshire’s attack enjoyed no further breakthroughs.

The forecast for today’s play is a little gloomy but Brooks believes that Yorkshire chances of making further breakthroughs will be increased if they bowl tightly.

"It’s a good deck and if tailenders are scoring runs, it’s clearly not a nick-off wicket." he said.

"But you have to put the ball in the right places. If you bowl width or don’t get your lengths right at Scarborough, you will go round the park although the outfield is a bit slower this year.

"But if you are going for less than three an over you are probably bowling quite well.

"Their openers batted well but we clawed it back, got a couple of quick wickets and if we can keep the run rate down, we hope we can just chip away with wickets.

"We have the runs in the bank but you have to bowl well otherwise the game can get away from you."