Business as usual for Gillespie as Leaning anchors Yorkshire

Amid all the uncertainty surrounding the future of their coach, Yorkshire simply continue with the job in hand. Asked to bat first on a pitch that an attack perhaps more accomplished than Somerset's might have exploited more profitably, they had the better of the opening day and demonstrated much of the quality that enabled them to win the Championship in 2014, of which their deep squad provides an abundant supply.

Indeed, it was business as usual for Jason Gillespie himself, who gave no indication to his players that he had anything on his mind other than doing his current job to the standards he sets for himself. That must have been tough, given that this could be his last match in charge of a team with which he has developed such a strong bond.

His two meetings with Andrew Strauss last week, however, have yet to be followed up with an offer to become England's head coach. Gillespie passed on a message that there had been "no update" to the position he relayed at the weekend, when he said that he had been told he was one of a number of individuals to whom the ECB planned to speak.

There was no change, either, in his dressing room demeanour, none that Jack Leaning, whose 123 was the feature of the day, could detect. "He was the same as he always is," Leaning said. "Dizzy never changes, whether we are winning or losing. He is always a strong confident character and that rubs off on us as players."

The dressing room as a unit, Leaning said, are trying to ignore gossip and speculation. "It doesn't affect us," he said. "At the moment he is our coach and hopefully he will remain so for the long term."

Leaning's progress this season reflects well on Gillespie, of course. Young players clearly thrive in the atmosphere he has helped to create within the Yorkshire squad. The 21-year-old batsman is playing with such a high level of confidence he took it upon himself here to be the player who came up with the innings of substance the day demanded, batting for five hours and 20 minutes, at times the anchor, at other moments pushing on.

It meant that, after the openers, Alex Lees and 20-year-old Will Rhodes, had both made solid starts against the new ball but not been able to build on them, bright half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan had added value and a second-ball duck from Glenn Maxwell on debut was of no great consequence.

Bairstow, who is striking the ball with much authority at present, hit nine fours in a 59-ball half century that was the feature of the afternoon session as he and Leaning added 93 for the fourth wicket. Bresnan, likewise, is in fine form, although his powerful hitting late in the day was not enjoyed by every spectator. A gentleman in the front row of the seats to the right of the dressing room block left the ground with a bandaged head after being struck by the ball. Happily, the injury did not appear to be serious.

Bresnan is unbeaten on 54 after a stand in which Leaning, the passive partner when Bairstow was dominating the bowling, landed some punches of his own, hitting nine of his 15 boundaries in his final 53 runs before he was bowled by Peter Trego in the penultimate over, the partnership having added 117.

"I scratched around a bit at first, trying to find some form but I and a confidence player and I feel good about my game at the moment," Leaning said. This was his second century of the season following his maiden hundred at Trent Bridge last month. "They bowled well in the morning and there was a bit of swing and seam movement. But whenever Jonny comes to the crease he brings some impetus with him and Brezzy is in good form too, and that rubbed off on me."

Liam Plunkett's dismissal leg before in the final over gave Somerset some late gains but overall it was Yorkshire's day.