Rain brought a merciful release for the bowlers as the Bath Festival pitch continued to prove a batting paradise on the second day.

The home side declared at lunch at 553-5 after Mike Burns had taken his score to 221, the highest ever by a Somerset batsman against Yorkshire.

Mark Lathwell also batted brilliantly to be just two short of a century when Jamie Cox closed the innings. The former England batsman had faced only 109 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes.

Soon Somerset's seamers were finding life just as tough as their Yorkshire counterparts, offering little threat as Matthew Wood and Scott Richardson began to take some revenge.

Both openers had reached half-centuries in a total of 119 without loss when the rain, which had been threatening, brought an end to the day's play after 29.3 overs of the Yorkshire innings.

Earlier Burns had finally fallen to a catch at the wicket having batted for more than seven and a half hours, facing 367 balls and hitting 28 fours and a six.

After sharing stands of 206 with Cox and 161 with the other Matthew Wood playing in ths match, Burns helped Lathwell add 132 for the fourth wicket before departing with the total on 525. He had come in at 26-1.

Lathwell was denied a century before lunch by the tim it took to retrieve the ball after his third six off Middlebrook. It sailed over the hospitality marquees and into a car park.

After a year out of the game following knee surgery in 1999, Lathwell struggled to rediscover his best form last season but he has now passed 50 in five of his nine Championship innings this summer.

Somerset coach Kevin Shine said: "I was very impressed with Matt Wood who had a great debut, and showed a lot of promise." Regarding Mike Burns, Shine said: "Mike looked a class batsman out there; that's the best that I have ever seen him play."

When asked about Mark Lathwell being stranded on 98 not out when Somerset declared, the coach said: "Mark's innings was fantastic, a great knock, very exciting and free-flowing. We always knew that we were going to declare at lunchtime. Mark wasn't too bothered that he missed out on his hundred."

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