Dom Bess believes securing a target of 200 will give Yorkshire a very good chance of victory over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Yorkshire are 159-6 in their second innings at the end of day two, a lead of 147 with Harry Brook on 76.
The White Rose fought their way back into this LV= Insurance County Championship game superbly on day two, which Northants started at 61-2 in their first-innings reply to 158.
In the end, they only conceded a lead of 12 thanks mainly to Bess and his career best 7-43 from 24.4 overs. It was the second seven-for of his 60 game first-class career.
“It was very good, and I was very happy with how it came out, especially with the last three weeks being with a white ball,” said the off-spinner.
“I’m just as pleased with how we’ve got ourselves back into the game, limiting them to a lead of 12.
“We’ve lost a few poles today, so it’s about making sure we keep chipping away at our lead and, when we get the ball back in our hands, putting them under as much pressure as we can.”
Ten wickets fell to spin on day two, six for Bess and four for Northants left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan.
“I think it is (as difficult to bat as it looks),” said Bess. “They’ve had three T20s on it and 180 overs in this game already. There are certainly balls in there.
“But if you really do apply yourselves, you can score runs.
“Anything up around 200 will be a really tricky chase.”
Bess has spoken a lot previously about the difficulties of his time away in India with England’s Test squad in the winter and the off-field challenges he faced being in a bubble whilst not being a regular in the team.
It is clear it is an experience which has changed his outlook on the game and even, he feels, made him a better bowler given he now has a freer approach to the game.
He explained: “I think it really is making me a better bowler.
“At the end of the day, we’re playing professional sport and there’s expectation playing for Yorkshire and England. But, in real context, it’s not as important as you think. We’ve seen that with Covid.
“Coming back from India and not seeing my family as much, I had a different perspective.
“What is pressure? It’s only what you put on yourself.”
