Picture by Gareth Copley/Getty Images. Gutted but proud of his players was the best summary of Anthony McGrath’s feelings after today’s defeat to Surrey.
Anthony McGrath admitted he was “gutted” after seeing his Yorkshire side slip to a one-wicket defeat against Surrey at The Kia Oval this evening, though the coach pointed to their second-innings batting effort as the main reason for this reverse.
Surrey recovered from 115-7 to win by the narrowest of margins, with Josh Blake top-scoring with a determined 43 not out to defy some excellent bowling from Ben Coad three wickets, Jack White two and George Hill four.
Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as Surrey won for the second time this season, consigning Yorkshire to defeat number four and eighth place in Division One with three games remaining in the Rothesay County Championship summer.
Head coach McGrath said: “I’m extremely disappointed. I can’t fault the lads. I’m gutted for them.
“The amount of effort they put in, it just didn’t go our way.
“It was one of those days, unfortunately.
“But, if you look at the whole game, our second innings was where it got away. We did remarkably well to get 185 in the first innings on that wicket, and we knew it was going to keep doing stuff. But when you have a 100-run lead, you have to bat a bit longer in that second innings. To only bat 28 overs was disappointing.
“Any score there. Look, we’d have defended 185 there on another day given the amount of plays and misses and big shouts, but a lead of 200 on that (would have been very difficult to chase).
“It’s our second innings where we’ve lost that.”
To recap, Yorkshire bowled Surrey out for 83 in their first innings on day two before responding with 82 all out themselves, setting up a 185-target.
At 115-7 this afternoon, Yorkshire were favourites, only for left-handed Blake to shared 55 for the eighth-wicket with Matthew Fisher, whose 33 supplemented his eight-wicket match return.
On Blake’s determination, McGrath said: “Well played. He played and missed all day but was never ruffled. He stuck to his game-plan.
“In an era where it seems like you have to play big shots, particularly when it gets tough, obviously I’m not pleased with his knock, but it’s pleasing for cricket in general.
“He showed that if you play properly and let the ball come to you and don’t look to drive a lot, you’ll get luck.
“He grafted all day, and you have to take your hat off to him. He managed to find a way all day.”
Yorkshire played two spinners in Dom Bess and Kuldeep Yadav, but neither bowled an over in the match. McGrath was asked about their selections.
“I don’t anyone was expecting that,” he said of the seamer-friendly conditions.
“It’s always green here, but if you look at the scores it does a bit early and then flattens out.
“We were thinking, like the previous three years, ‘First innings it’ll be tough and then spin would come in when the game gets longer’.
“But it was polar opposite. It was a surprising pitch.”
On his bowlers, he said: “They will bowl much worse than that (and win). How they’ve not got more wickets today is incredible!
“George Hill, Jack White and Ben Coad went to the well and kept coming.
“Even with two to win, George has bowled a maiden with six plays and misses.
“I’m so proud of them. It’s tough to take, but that’s professional sport.
“It wasn’t a game you’d normally see in first-class cricket. It was like a highlights package for two-and-a-bit-days.”
Yorkshire are now looking over their shoulders at the bottom two instead of having designs on winning the title, which would have been the case with a win here.
The first of three remaining games starts against Essex at Headingley on Tuesday.
McGrath added: “We know what’s in front of us.
“We can’t get higher and put ourselves in that title contention with this result, unfortunately. But we can still finish in a positive manner and get up as high as we can.
“The bowlers will be absolutely shattered, so we might have to look at the bowling line-up next week.
“The three seamers, in particular, have put a hell of a lot into this.
“I don’t think there’s any injuries, just tired bodies and we might have to look at rotating.”
