George Hill starred with a brilliant 6-59 from 13.3 overs as Yorkshire completed a crucial innings and 72-run Vitality County Championship victory over Leicestershire inside three days at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road.
Yorkshire’s fourth win in five games in Division Two has hoisted them into second place in the in-play table with two matches to go, though that would change tomorrow should rivals Middlesex beat Gloucestershire at Lord’s.
Should Middlesex win tomorrow, they would maintain the one-point gap they started this week with. If they draw, Yorkshire would be seven points clear. If they lost, Yorkshire would be 15 ahead.
Here at Grace Road, Jonny Tattersall’s on-song visitors not only beat Leicestershire but also the weather as Hill claimed the last six wickets to wrap up victory at 4.40pm.
It was his second career haul of five wickets or more in Championship cricket and his second six-for of the season having taken 6-28 in last month’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Warwickshire at Rugby School.
Yesterday’s second day was significantly affected by the rain, something which forced three more interruptions from early morning to mid-afternoon today.
Picture by John Heald. Matthew Fisher takes the winning catch this evening.
Leicestershire were bowled out for 98 in their first innings on day one, to which Yorkshire replied to with 379. The Foxes started today on 35-2 in the 11th over of their second innings and were bowled out for 209 after tea.
Yorkshire claimed 22 points for a victory they richly deserved. They were excellent with ball and bat on a bowler-friendly surface.
Ben Coad claimed a brilliant 5-15 from 10 overs in the first innings, his display contributing to a remarkable early collapse which saw the Foxes – fourth place in the table before this round of fixtures – slip to 15-7 in their first innings.
Jonny Tattersall stood out with the bat thanks to a brilliant first innings 126. It may not have been the highest of his three career Championship centuries, but it was certainly his best knock given the nature of the conditions.
Matthew Fisher also shone on his return to the side with three wickets in each innings. Sandwiched in between, he hit a career best 88 from number 10.
But today was Hill’s day, as he put the lid on any thoughts of a Leicestershire fightback.
Picture by John Heald. Captain Jonny Tattersall shakes the hand of Leicestershire batter Liam Trevaskis after completing victory.
Play started on time at 10.30am, and Fisher struck first when he had home captain Lewis Hill caught low down at second slip by Adam Lyth, the seamer having taken each of the first three wickets to fall in Leicestershire’s second innings.
When Hill fell, the Foxes were 53-3 in the 16th over, the day’s sixth.
The on, off, on, off nature of the rain finally relented from 2.40pm onwards, replaced by bright sunshine.
At that stage, internationals Rehan Ahmed and Indian overseas batter Ajinkya Rahane were in the midst of a fourth-wicket partnership of 78 which threatened to keep Yorkshire waiting into day four for their fourth victory of the campaign.
These two very much formed a ying and yang partnership. Rahane’s game is built on defence, while Ahmed – he will tour Pakistan with England next month – bats with much more aggression and a real swagger.
He hit eight fours and two sixes in an entertaining 77 off 86 balls. He hoisted Coad over long-on for six and danced down the track and lofted Hill almost arrow straight.
Picture by John Heald. George Hill celebrates victory and his super six-for with the ball this evening.
But it just wasn’t enough for Leicestershire to drag themselves out of the hole dug by that 15-7 collapse at the start of this fixture.
Ironically, the first rash shot Rahane played brought about his downfall as he dragged a pull at Coad onto his middle stump, leaving Leicestershire at 131-4 in the 33rd over.
Hill then took the next four wickets either side of tea, leaving the Foxes on 189-8 in the 50th over, a deficit of 92.
He trapped Louis Kimber and then Ben Cox lbw and had a driving Ahmed caught safely by Lyth at second slip. Tom Scriven followed Kimber and Cox in being trapped in front – the latter falling in the early stages of the evening.
Hill completed his five-for, the second of his career in the Championship, when he bowled Scott Currie – 193-9 – before getting Chris Wright caught by Fisher running around towards cover from mid-off.
Yorkshire’s penultimate game of the season takes place from next Tuesday, against Glamorgan at Cardiff.
Picture by John Heald. George Hill and team-mates celebrate an evening wicket.
