Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root sent records tumbling yesterday to set Yorkshire up for their first Specsavers County Championship win of the season over Surrey at Headingley.

The England pair magnificently shared a mammoth 372 runs for the fourth wicket in only 67 overs to help recover from 45-3 in reply to 330 as the hosts closed day two on 486-5 from 98 overs.

They came together during the early stages of the morning and batted through to midway through the evening as Surrey wilted.

Bairstow hit 198 off 231 balls and Root an unbeaten 190 off 221 as an incredible 471 runs were scored in the day.

Heading into today’s third day, Yorkshire lead by 156 and have opened up the real possibility of a three-day victory.

Their stand was the fifth highest in Yorkshire’s first-class history, the club’s highest fourth-wicket partnership and their highest at Headingley.

Bairstow and Root topped the previous best fourth-wicket stand of 358 between Darren Lehmann and Michael Lumb against Durham here in 2006.

“Joe's not the worst partner to have at the other end!” smiled Bairstow.

“It's great to bat with him, and hopefully that can continue. We've enjoyed batting together in second-team cricket, first-team cricket and obviously above.

“If we can keep doing that at whatever level we're playing, hopefully it puts the side in a good position.

“We were obviously 40 odd for three again. It's not the position we want to potentially be getting ourselves into on a regular basis. But we were very fortunate to spend time in the middle and come out the other side of it.

“I was pleased with the way I was striking it. I pushed at a few, and I wasn't over-enamoured with some of my shots, but onwards and upwards.

"To get out for 198, I was a bit cheesed off to say the least.”

Bairstow led the way as he posted his eighth first-class hundred since last May, both for county and country.

He rarely looked like falling, only offering a half chance to a diving Arun Harinath mid-on 134.

Root also offered a tough chance to Jason Roy at second slip on 20. Both were off James Burke’s bowling.

This was Root’s sixth first-class hundred for Yorkshire, five of which have been above 150.

Earlier, Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance fell lbw and bowled to Ravi Rampaul, who was the pick of Surrey’s bowlers, while Alex Lees edged Tom Curran behind.

Bairstow fell when he cut Burke to Kumar Sangakkara at backward point after tea.

“Jonny progressed very well over the winter, and hopefully he will go from strength to strength this summer in the international arena,” added Root.

"They bowled very well (in that first hour). It's very important to use the new ball on a surface like that. There's a few indentations, so you've got to make sure you play well through that period.

“When you get the opportunity to put the pressure back on them, that's exactly what Jonny did when he came out to bat.

"Going forward, it will be about reassessing and having a look at the conditions first up and trying to get a big score so we only have to bat once."