By Graham Hardcastle and Paul Dyson.
Will Fraine is adamant that he has broken into a Yorkshire team on the up.
The Huddersfield-born opening batsman made his first-class debut for the White Rose in last week’s Specsavers County Championship draw against Essex at Emerald Headingley, scoring 39 and nought.
Fraine, 22, replaced out of form Harry Brook at the top of the order and is set for a decent run in the side alongside Adam Lyth, continuing with champions Surrey at Guildford from Monday and then Warwickshire at York the following week.
Having signed from Nottinghamshire at the start of the winter on a three-year contract, Fraine has praised the Yorkshire hierarchy for their management of him as a player, allowing him to start in the second team and build confidence with two hundreds and three fifties.
“Every time is a great time to get into the side, but the lads are clearly up and running and are aiming high,” said the former Durham MCC Universities captain.
“In the dressing room, we’re looking at the top end of the table.
“The cricket we’re playing, there’s no reason why we can’t challenge for that title come the end of the year.
“It’s nice to get the backing. It shows that if you do well in the twos, Galey will back you and give you a go.
“I wasn’t sure whether I was going to play or not, but I was really pleased to be out there.
“I’m happy with the way I’ve started the summer.
“I’ve trained really hard and have been put through my paces having come here. I needed to get up to speed with all the lads because we have a very good squad.
“I’m really pleased with how I’ve batting, so to get the call-up a bit sooner than I would have thought is really promising.
“I think the club have handled me really well as a player. The coaches have got to know who I am as a player and a bloke really well.
“Paul Grayson getting appointed as batting coach was great for me because he’s someone who knows my game inside out (from Durham Uni). He knows when I’m playing well and what I need.
“Allowing me to get some scores in the twos and get my confidence up was quite important before coming up to this level because it’s a big step up. The occasion and the opposition is lot bigger and better.
“I’ve settled in really well and feel very at home here.”
In the first innings against Essex, Fraine and Lyth shared in a partnership of 77 – Yorkshire’s highest opening stand in a little over a year of Division One cricket.
In the second, on the final day, he was out for a seven-ball duck.
“It was nice to spend a bit of time out in the middle in the first innings,” he reflected.
“I felt pretty relaxed and pretty solid against two good opening bowlers. Jamie Porter has been around a bit now and has done really well, and I know Sam Cook really well from the Uni stuff. He’s a good bowler.
“I felt like I handled it well and didn’t let the occasion get into my mind. Lythy was good in helping me stay calm and enjoy it.”
Yorkshire remain third in Division One behind Hampshire and leaders Somerset, who stretched the gap between themselves and the White Rose to 25 points by beating Surrey at Guildford last week.
Yorkshire have won two and drawn three, while Surrey have lost two and drawn three.
Team news
All-rounder David Willey has not made the trip to Guildford due to family reasons so Matthew Fisher comes in to the squad.
The seamer, who has struggled with a back and then thumb injury, has not played a First-Class fixture since last season’s Specsavers County Championship home match against Somerset in August.
Harry Brook drops out of the squad and is set to play in a T20 warm-up fixture against a Yorkshire League South Select XI in at Bennetthorpe tonight (Monday, 5.30pm).
Jordan Thompson is also included and could be in line to make his First-Class debut for the White Rose.
13-man squad to face Surrey at Guildford
Ballance, Bess, Kohler-Cadmore, Coad, Fisher, Fraine, Leaning, Lyth, Olivier, Patterson ©, Pillans, Tattersall (WK), Thompson.
Surrey squad
Burns ©, Batty, Borthwick, Clark, Clarke, Dunn, Elgar, Foakes, Jacks, Morkel, Patel, Smith, Stoneman.
The thoughts of Graham Hardcastle…
You can look at this week’s clash one of two ways.
The glass half full approach suggests this is the ideal time to play a Surrey side who have been slow out of the blocks and are yet to win.
But the glass half empty approach suggests the champions are surely due for an upturn in fortunes sooner rather than later.
Mind you, there is absolutely no reason to fear Surrey, as perhaps there was last year when Rory Burns was piling on the runs and Morne Morkel was terrorising batting line-ups. It just hasn’t happened for them this summer.
Unbeaten Yorkshire have enjoyed an impressive start to the season which could have been better but for a touch more luck here and there over the last fortnight.
Guildford Cricket Club has been spruced up since the White Rose last visited, and it is a classic outground venue in the heart of leafy Surrey which should create a good atmosphere.
It will be an enjoyable week for the travelling Yorkshire fans. Let’s hope it is for the players too.
Around the grounds
Division One
Welbeck (day 1): Nottinghamshire v Hampshire
South African Kyle Abbott took 6 for 37 as struggling Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 162 with only skipper Steven Mullaney (45) offering much resistance. Hampshire are 42 for 1 in reply.
Canterbury: Kent v Somerset
Opener Marcus Trescothick, who has managed only 86 runs in eight Championship innings this season, has been left out by leaders Somerset. The 43-year-old will be replaced by Azhar Ali, who has recovered from a throat infection. Lewis Gregory is fit after missing four games with a back problem.
Kent have signed off-spinner Ollie Rayner on loan from Middlesex but he is not eligible until next week. Sam Billings (shoulder), Calum Haggett (elbow) and Ivan Thomas (knee) are sidelined but all-rounder Grant Stewart returns after injury.
Guildford: Surrey v Yorkshire
Surrey are still looking for the first win in their title defence and have added all-rounder Jordan Clark and wicket keeper-batsman Jamie Smith to their squad. Sam Curran (hamstring), Ollie Pope (shoulder) and Conor McKerr (heel) are still out and Arun Harinath, Gus Atkinson and Stuart Meaker picked up injuries in the second XI last week.
Yorkshire are likely to be unchanged with Gary Ballance – the leading run-scorer in Division One with 603 – looking for his fifth hundred of the season.
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Northamptonshire
Having claimed their first win of the season last week, Durham are unchanged. Pace bowler Matt Salisbury (groin) and batsman Ryan Pringle (shoulder) are sidelined. Adam Rossington takes charge of Northants for the first time following Alex Wakely’s decision to step down.
Leicester: Leicestershire v Middlesex
Seamers Tom Taylor and Ben Mike are still not available for Leicestershire because of injury.
Steve Finn and fellow fast bowler Tom Helm return after injury for the visitors. Paul Stirling is back after international duty but James Harris is ruled out after breaking his thumb against Sussex last week. All-rounder George Scott is included in a 13-man squad with Ethan Barber rested.
Worcester: Worcestershire v Lancashire
Opener Josh Dell returns for the hosts who also welcome back all-rounder Wayne Parnell following a hamstring injury. Lancashire wicketkeeper Alex Davies is in line for a return while James Anderson, rested against Leicestershire last week, could also be included by the leaders.
Arundel: Sussex v Gloucestershire (starts Tuesday)
Opener Phil Salt, who made his maiden Championship hundred at Arundel last season, misses out after undergoing hand surgery last week. Tom Haines is his likely replacement. Gloucestershire are protecting a ten-match unbeaten record in the Championship.
Match statistics
- Ten of the last 14 County Championship matches between these two teams have ended in draws.
- Yorkshire’s last two victories in the County Championship away to Surrey were in 1978 and 2007 – both at The Oval
- Yorkshire’s only two previous games at Guildford both ended in defeats. In 1991 they lost by one wicket – one of only four such results in the Championship against any county.
- Yorkshire’s second-highest total in all first-class cricket – 704 in 1899 – was scored away to Surrey. Surrey’s highest total in a home match against Yorkshire is 634 for five declared made in 2013. Both of these instances occurred at The Oval.
- All of Surrey’s five Championship double-centuries against Yorkshire have been scored in London – four at The Oval and one at Lord’s.
- Yorkshire’s batsmen have scored seven double-centuries against Surrey and five of these have been at The Oval.
Specsavers County Championship Division One table
Specsavers County Championship Division One statistics
Potential milestones
Potential batting milestones in Surrey v Yorkshire on 10th Jun 2019
- A Lyth needs 7 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches against Warwickshire
- MJ Lamb needs 18 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches
- TT Bresnan needs 21 runs to reach 6500 runs in First-class matches
- WMH Rhodes needs 41 runs to reach 2000 runs in First-class matches
- JM Bairstow needs 49 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches against Warwickshire
- MGK Burgess needs 60 runs to reach 1500 runs in First-class matches
- JS Patel needs 68 runs to reach 6500 runs in First-class matches
- GS Ballance needs 90 runs to reach 11000 runs in First-class matches
- TR Ambrose needs 93 runs to reach 1000 runs in First-class matches against Yorkshire
- TT Bresnan needs 96 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches against Warwickshire
- JA Leaning needs 114 runs to reach 3000 runs in First-class matches
- BO Coad needs 140 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches
- SA Patterson needs 143 runs to reach 500 runs in First-class matches against Warwickshire
- JM Bairstow needs 148 runs to reach 11500 runs in First-class matches
Potential bowling milestones in Yorkshire v Warwickshire on 17th Jun 2019
- SA Patterson needs 1 wickets to reach 50 wickets in First-class matches against Warwickshire
- TT Bresnan needs 2 wickets to reach 550 wickets in First-class matches
- IR Bell needs 3 wickets to reach 50 wickets in First-class matches
- JE Root needs 10 wickets to reach 50 wickets in First-class matches
Yorkshire’s County Championship Statistics
The opposition
- Director of cricket: Alec Stewart, Head coach: Michael Di Venuto
- Captain: Rory Burns (CC/RL50), Jade Dernbach (T20)
- 2018: CC Winners Div 1, RL50 5th in South, T20 5th in South
The runaway Championship winners of 2018 will be a tough nut to crack again, but they will have to deal with increasing uncertainty around international call-ups this summer. Yorkshire know a thing or two about that!
The likes of captain Rory Burns, Sam and Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Liam Plunkett and Ollie Pope are all in and around the various England teams.
Surrey did the double over Yorkshire last summer, at the Oval and Scarborough, and only lost once all summer as Burns and Morne Morkel were particularly impressive with bat and ball respectively. South Africa Test batsman Dean Elgar returns as overseas and should be available for all but one Championship match.
There was little to write home about in white ball cricket last season.
Eighteen-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Jamie Smith could be a breakthrough star of the summer, opportunity dependent.
