George Hill and Jonny Bairstow both racked up scores in the 160s as Yorkshire ploughed on to a mammoth first-innings 601-6 declared on day two of their Vitality County Championship clash with fellow promotion contenders Middlesex at Headingley.
Hill top-scored with 169 not out off 257 balls after Bairstow had posted 160 off 198 during a day which saw only two wickets fall – one for either side.
The pair completed a record-breaking 238 for the sixth wicket, Yorkshire’s highest ever partnership for that wicket in their first-class history against Middlesex.
This was a day for the statisticians, and certainly not the bowlers, who have had to contend with a flat Headingley surface which will hopefully become increasingly helpful for the spinners.
Yorkshire are the most likely winners, clearly, but they have significant work to do given that Middlesex closed on 141-1 from 50 overs of their first-innings reply. Opener Sam Robson top-scored with a determined 65.
The home total of 601-6 is the joint ninth highest in first-class cricket on this ground, including Test Cricket. The highest? Yorkshire have twice posted 677-7 declared, against Durham in 2006 and against Derbyshire in 2013.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. George Hill acknowledges the applause of the Headingley faithful during his fabulous 169 not out today.
Even in batter-friendly conditions, Hill and Bairstow played beautifully.
They resumed on 107 and 58 this morning, Yorkshire 372-5, and were both proactive.
This isn’t the sort of pitch where run-scoring is going to happen in a hurry. Timing isn’t easy. But they still kept the scoreboard ticking. Their running between the wickets and pressurising the fielders, especially last night, was a particular feature.
Hill survived a missed-stumping on 64 off leg-spinner Luke Hollman, who was the pick of the Middlesex bowling with 4-194 from a marathon 47 overs.
He hoisted the same bowler over long-on for six, his second – to match Bairstow’s pair of sixes on day one.
Hill reached his century off 169 balls before lunch and later went on to post the highest of his four first-class centuries to date, beating the 151 not out he scored in the draw at Northamptonshire in early 2022.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow leaves the field after posting 160 on day two versus Middlesex.
This was Bairstow’s eighth score above 150 for Yorkshire in Championship cricket.
Yorkshire secured four batting bonus points, narrowly missing out on the maximum of five. But they did gain the second prize of limiting Middlesex to only one bowling point for taking five wickets inside the 110-over cut off.
With the gap between the two counties only three points coming into this game, that indicates that every point could be crucial in the promotion race.
Bairstow was bowled off an under-edge as he attempted to pull Hollman – the only Yorkshire wicket to fall today.
Hill and Bess, from 480-6 after lunch, then shared an unbroken 121 for the seventh wicket, the latter contributing a fine unbeaten 60. Immediately before the declaration, he slog-swept Hollman for six and then four over mid-wicket.
For much of his innings, Bess struggled with a left ankle injury having seemingly sprained it whilst taking a run. Thankfully, he was able to take the field one over into the Middlesex reply.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess had a good day, with 60 not out and one wicket.
And it wasn’t long before he was into the attack.
Ben Coad and Jordan Thompson only bowled seven overs between them with the new Kookaburra ball, handing the baton over to Bess and the left-arm spin of Dan Moriarty just before tea.
They bowled in tandem through the majority of the evening session, with Bess taking the only wicket when he had ex-Yorkshire loanee Mark Stoneman caught at slip for 27, breaking a 61-run opening partnership with Robson, who went on to reach his fifty off 105 balls inside the final 45 minutes of play.
Adam Lyth’s off-spin was also employed by Jonny Tattersall, who is keeping wicket in this fixture instead of Bairstow.
Of course, Robson has happy memories of Headingley. In 2014, he scored his only Test century for England here, against Sri Lanka. If he goes close to matching the 127 he scored on that occasion, he will have likely given Middlesex significant breathing space in their bid to avoid defeat in this fixture.
The experienced left-hander ended the day by sharing an unbroken second-wicket partnership with Max Holden, which totalled 80. Holden will begin tomorrow on 39.
