Dom Bess has revealed he is targeting more results with the bat to aid progression for both himself and Yorkshire.
The England off-spinner has signed a four-year contract at Emerald Headingley, with his move from Somerset beginning at the end of the season.
Bess has played in each of England’s six summer Test Matches against the West Indies and Pakistan, and is now their number one spin choice in that format ahead of Moeen Ali, Jack Leach and Matthew Parkinson.
But he knows it will not just be his performances with the ball that ensure he holds onto that position.
And the 23-year-old has every chance of doing it, as he showed during last season’s loan spell at Headingley when he hit 91 not out in a County Championship draw against Essex.
Bess has one hundred and six fifties in 47 first-class career appearances and is intent on boosting an average which currently sits at 24.19.
“If I want to be playing for England, which is my ultimate goal, I have got to be batting, I have to be producing now,” said the Exeter-born player.
“In terms of opportunities, this move could be a great one for me to really knuckle down, kick on with my batting and go to that next level.
“Hopefully I can be seen as a genuine all-rounder, which is a really exciting challenge for me.
“It’s nice to know Yorkshire will back that side of it.
“But the big thing for me is that it’s not about me, it’s about the team.
“Whatever fits the side, I’m happy to do. If that’s me batting at number seven, averaging 30 and getting three or four hundreds, if I can do that consistently, that also puts the side in a great light.
“It will obviously help me personally, but it will also balance out the side.
“You look at the likes of Jordan Thompson, Matthew Waite as well, they are genuine all-rounders, and that means you are looking at a very short tail.
“And that is a dangerous combination for other teams.
“I know that from experience at Somerset. We don’t have a tail, and I know other sides struggle because they see us six down and then it’s the likes of myself, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Jack Leach at eleven.
“That’s something I hope to see at Yorkshire, ‘Can we all contribute?’”
Meanwhile, Yorkshire’s fourth Vitality Blast North Group fixture against Leicestershire at Emerald Headingley last night was washed out without a ball bowled.
Heavy rain from early afternoon and into the evening forced the abandonment of the fixture at 6.40pm, 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.
The White Rose have now had two No Results, a win and a loss from their opening four matches and face Durham at Emirates Riverside in their fifth on Friday evening (6.30pm) – a game which marks the halfway stage in the group programme.
They sit two points behind group leaders Nottinghamshire.
The Durham game will be Joe Root’s last before he returns to England duty for the international summer’s finale, a three-match one-day series against Australia.
The Leicester abandonment delayed David Willey’s debut as Yorkshire’s permanent Blast captain. He will hope to begin that role up in the North East.
