Yorkshire are in danger of ending a special season with only a second defeat against Somerset at Headingley.

The LV= County Championship winners are under the cosh against a team placed mid-table in Division One having seen them reply to 253 all out with 319-3 from 89 overs at close on yesterday’s day two.

Steve Patterson, with two, and stand-in captain Joe Root were the only wicket-takers for the White Rose as a season’s best 156 from Nick Compton led the visitors’ effort, which also included half-centuries for Marcus Trescothick and Tom Abell.

Former England batsman Compton shared century stands for the second and third wickets with the pair, who made 66 and 71 not out respectively under sunny skies.

Yorkshire, understandably so to a degree, lacked a spark with the ball yesterday as batting conditions eased from day one. It was almost a fortnight ago when they won the title against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, and they missed the next round of fixtures.

However, Jack Leaning, who was left on 57 not out before lunch, gave praise to Compton and Somerset.

“I think they’ve just played a little bit better than us as opposed to (a lack of) intensity,” said the 20-year-old right-hander.

“There’s no change around the dressing room with the lads. It would have been the same even if we hadn’t won the Championship. We’ve not played our best cricket in this game, but sometimes that just happens.

“They bowled in the right areas on day one, and they got their rewards for that. Then, the lads who batted for them have just played well. Compton’s an England player, a Test match player. He’s shown his class at the highest level, and did it again. He’s done well.”

“I still think we’re well in it. They are only 60 ahead of us. A couple of quick wickets in the morning session, and you never know where the game could go in the afternoon.”

Patterson was Yorkshire’s standout bowler, returning 2-38 from 19 typically metronomic overs.

He had Johann Myburgh caught at second slip before lunch, leaving the score at 42-1, before returning with the second new ball late in the day to bowl Compton, who had faced 232 balls and hit 23 fours and a straight six, which went straight down the ground off the spin of Root.

By the time Compton fell, leaving the score at 304-3 in the 86th over, Somerset were 51 runs ahead.

Root ended Trescothick’s stay at the crease after lunch with only his third ball when the left-hander tried to late cut him and found the safe hands of Adam Lyth, the division’s most prolific outfield catcher.

Compton, who played the last of his nine Tests for England here against New Zealand last summer, reached his hundred off 146 balls and his 150 off 224.

Yorkshire advanced their innings from 241-9 at the start of play before Jack Brooks edged Peter Trego to second slip.

Leaning’s innings signalled his fourth Championship century of his breakthrough campaign, and he added: “It was obviously nice to get a few runs, and I felt in decent nick. It was a shame we didn’t get a few more as a team though.”

Yorkshire v Somerset
At Headingley Carnegie.
Overnight: Yorkshire 241-9 (A Z Lees
83, J A Leaning 50 no).
Yorkshire First Innings
J A Leaning not out ................................ 57
J A Brooks c Trescothick b Trego....... 21
Extras (b4 lb7 w1 pens 0) . 12
Total (83.1 overs) .............. 253
Fall: 1-24 2-32 3-95 4-132 5-173 6-177
7-181 8-206 9-213
Bowling: Thomas 13-5-33-2. Trego 19.1-
6-69-4. Groenewald 16-4-56-2. Overton
24-6-60-1. Leach 11-4-24-1.

Somerset First Innings Close
M E Trescothick c Lyth b Root.............66
J G Myburgh c Lyth b Patterson.......... 14
N R Compton b Patterson..................156
T B Abell not out..................................... 71
M J Leach not out................................... 10
Extras (nb2 pens 0)............... 2
Total 3 wkts (89 overs) .....319
Fall: 1-42 2-150 3-304
To Bat: J C Hildreth, C Kieswetter, P D
Trego, J Overton, T D Groenewald, A C
Thomas
Bowling: Sidebottom 14-4-40-0. Brooks
10-0-56-0. Patterson 19-10-38-2. Pyrah
15-3-61-0. A U Rashid 23-1-90-0. Root
6-0-26-1. Lyth 2-0-8-0.