Anthony McGrath plundered his first century of the season and Darren Lehmann his fourth as they piled up the runs in Yorkshire's Championship match with Kent at Canterbury yesterday.

Both got out within three runs of each other after slamming 195 together off only 38 overs for the third wicket in a lavish exhibition of strokeplay.

McGrath powered his way to 133 off 234 balls with 17 fours and two sixes while Lehmann dashed along in such style that his 116 came off only 105 deliveries and contained 15 boundaries.

It was the Australian's sixth consecutive Championship score above 50 and it took him back to the top of the list of the country's leading run-makers, his tally now standing at 1297 and putting him ahead of fellow countrymen Justin Langer and Stuart Law.

Neither batsman gave a chance but McGrath almost ran his partner out before he had scored. McGrath pushed Martin Saggers towards cover and set off for a single but Lehmann would have short of his crease if Matthew Walker had scored a direct hit.

Apart from that uneasy moment, runs came thick and fast off a modest attack with McGrath matching his illustrious partner in the range and quality of his shots and the question was not so much if but rather when the pair would complete their centuries.

McGrath got there off 181 balls, four years after scoring his maiden century on the ground for Yorkshire in a spiteful match in which Kent, by way of protest at Yorkshire's refusal to declare, used 11 bowlers.

Lehmann achieved the quite rare treat of registering a boundary by hitting the famous tree which stands within the rope and McGrath pulled consecutive long hops from Rahul Dravid for sixes during an afternoon session which produced 181 runs.

Yorkshire had ploughed on to 327 for two when Kent skipper Matthew Fleming moved one away to find the edge of McGrath's bat and the same combination accounted for Lehmann who looked unhappy to be given out as swung round and tried to help the ball down the legside.

The two century-makers did not hog all of the limelight, however, because Michael Vaughan had earlier played some dazzling strokes himself in making 69 off 138 balls with ten fours and a six.

The England man put on 123 for the second wicket with McGrath after Simon Widdup had gone cheaply and was out to a sensational catch at second slip by Dravid off a thick edge.

Vaughan was Fleming's first victim and after he had accounted for McGrath and Lehmann he also dismissed Gary Fellows in his first four wicket haul of the season.

Yorkshire were unable to finish the day in the same dashing style they had become accustomed to and David Byas and Simon Guy departed cheaply before bad light stopped play on 365 for seven with 5.2 overs remaining