Joe Sayers battled his way to a gritty unbeaten century for Yorkshire on the second day of their Championship clash with Middlesex at Scarborough yesterday.

The left-handed opener remained calmly in control and his unflinching concentration was rewarded with a five-and-a-half hours century off 263 balls with 14 fours.

When bad light stopped play with 9.5 overs of the day remaining, Sayers was still there with 102 and Yorkshire were 273-5, trailing by 103 on the first innings.

Dropped earlier in the season because of poor form, Sayers once again showed his liking for North Marine Road for he made his maiden century for Yorkshire on the ground last summer with 104 in the win over Leicestershire.

Middlesex resumed on 354-9 with Paul Weekes on 124 and Chris Silverwood four and it was the former Yorkshire paceman who was involved in most of the remaining action, hooking Matthew Hoggard for two boundaries.

Hoggard had the last laugh as a fuller length ball trapped his old friend lbw, leaving Weekes unbeaten on 128 from 205 deliveries with 15 fours and a six.

Deon Kruis came off with his season's best figures of 5-67 but Middlesex could still feel well satisfied at reaching 376.

There was plenty of early movement in the pitch for Silverwood to exploit and he made the breakthrough at 20 as Craig White moved across his stumps and was lbw, but Sayers remained cool as he and Anthony McGrath repaired the early damage with a 94-stand.

McGrath continued to outscore the left-handed Sayers (pictured) whose powers of concentration are sometimes akin to those of Geoff Boycott.

Too often Sayers gets out after taking a while to settle in but on this occasion he remained in watchful control and it was McGrath who fell lbw to Louw just one run short of his 13th half-century of the season.

There were two boundaries off his first two balls for Michael Lumb with an inside edge and a fine square drive but having made 17 he drove too casually at Scott Styris and was caught behind, making Yorkshire 145-3.

Darren Lehmann, on his last Championship appearance at North Marine Road, was applauded all the way to the wicket by the crowd and he gave them something to cheer about by helping himself to four boundaries in an over from Chad Keegan, three of them from searing cover drives.

Sayers remained glued to the crease, his 50 using up 164 balls with 11 boundaries.

Sayers was 69 at tea, having scored only 44 in the whole of the afternoon session while Lehmann was galloping on to 42 but one run later he was out attempting to sweep Weekes.

Yorkshire were struggling on 213-5 when Adil Rashid fell to a catch by substitute fielder Eoin Morgan.

Partnered by Simon Guy, Sayers went beyond his previous best score this season of 85, and the sixth-wicket pair had put on a useful 60 before the umpires decided the light was too bad to continue.