Bob Willis Trophy: Jonny Bairstow makes 75 as Yorkshire lead Nottinghamshire

Jonny Bairstow returned to the Yorkshire side after playing for England in one-dayers against Ireland

Jonny Bairstow's 75 helped push Yorkshire into a position of strength on the third day of their Bob Willis Trophy match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

England World Cup winner Bairstow, playing his first red-ball match for his county in two years, played the major hand as the White Rose reached the close on 259-7, a lead of 168.

Adam Lyth made exactly 50, scoring his runs from 124 balls with six fours, and Jonny Tattersall will go into the final day unbeaten on 41 having faced 155 deliveries.

Bairstow batted for almost three hours and hit 14 fours in his 140-ball stay and his only moment of good fortune came early on in his innings when he nicked Matt Carter's off spin between wicketkeeper Tom Moores and Steven Mullaney at first slip.

• Relive Monday's action in the Bob Willis Trophy

From that point he exuded confidence and cut Zak Chappell for a succession of boundaries but his eventual dismissal came during an unexpected spell in mid-afternoon when three wickets quickly fell.

The breakthrough came from Samit Patel, having Lyth caught at slip by Mullaney, shortly after bringing up his half century from 117 balls.

Matt Carter then accounted for both Bairstow and Dawid Malan in similar fashion, with both caught at short leg by Haseeb Hameed.

The first - an athletic right-handed grab - was out of the very top drawer, the second a gentle lob up from Malan's bat and pad as he departed for just a single.

With the scoreboard showing Notts to have an over rate of plus 18, they found themselves in a position to take the second new ball by 5.20pm, with the allocation of 90 overs already surpassed.

Missing Jake Ball, who had left the action with a side strain after bowling three overs at the start of the day, the hosts turned back to Chappell to try and end the day as he had started it and he duly delivered.

Having removed opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a golden duck at the start of the play, Chappell closed it by picking up the wickets of Jordan Thompson for 33, then captain Steven Patterson.

Tattersall stood firm, with Duanne Olivier his partner at stumps on eight and all results remain possible heading into the final day, with Yorkshire bidding for back-to-back wins.

Nottinghamshire, though, remain hopeful of breaking a sequence of 24 first-class matches without victory stretching back to June 2018.

Nottinghamshire pace bowler Zak Chappell:

"It was a good day of four-day cricket, a game of attrition really.

"Peter Moores always says you can poke someone. For one day they can stand it but after four they get niggly and crack.

"This morning to get Tom Kohler-Cadmore first up was a dreamy start and I would have liked to have got Jonny again but he battled through it. Credit to them for that partnership.

"I'm still finding my way in county cricket but I enjoyed it personally today and think we all put a good shift in."

Yorkshire head coach Andrew Gale:

"At the start of the day I asked for fight, character, resilience and patience and I think we've seen that today.

"We dug in, it wasn't easy. It's a day seven pitch, so to be still batting at the end of it is very pleasing.

"We'll look to put a few more on in the morning and then if we can get them 20 for two, who knows?"

Match report by PA Media.