The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is delighted to announce that all-rounder Dom Bess has signed a new two-year contract, committing his future until at least the end of 2026.
Bess, 27, has spent the last four seasons at Headingley having joined from home county Somerset.
The off-spinner and right-handed batter has made 125 all-format appearances for Yorkshire, taking 172 wickets added to 2,046 runs.
He has captained the county in 50-over cricket and has played 14 Test Matches for England.
Pictured Yorkshire’s Dom Bess during the Vitality County Championship against Gloucestershire County Cricket Club at North Marine Road, Scarborough, this season.
His next first-class appearance – likely to come against Northamptonshire in this week’s final round Vitality County Championship fixture at Headingley – will be the 100th of an already impressive career.
“I’m very grateful that I’ve got another two years at the club,” said Bess.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Club so far, so I’m really happy to continue my time here and I look to keep improving my game at such a big club.”
Yorkshire are chasing promotion from Division Two of the Championship and head into the final round placed second in the table, 15 points clear of Middlesex in third place.
After a challenging two years on the field for the county in 2022 and 2023, Bess is now confident those good times are just around the corner.
“For sure, in a big way,” he said.
“You look at the lads coming through, aligned with the senior boys such as Adam Lyth and Jonny Tattersall, and there’s a real nice blend there. Hopefully this coming week we can do the business, and we can carry that on into Division One.
“We’ve started to see the young lads stand up and perform. The way Fin Bean and Lythy have formed an opening partnership has been exceptional.
“Lythy takes real responsibility, and Beany has shown his class time and time again.
“You reinforce that with the likes of James Wharton and Will Luxton. It will be a great opportunity for them to push on next year.
“George Hill, you look at how important he is to our team. He stands at first slip at 23-years-old, he bowls the tougher overs up the hill and into the wind, and he’s a top six batter who can bat anywhere. That’s the flexibility of a luxury player.
“There’s him and Matthew Revis, intertwined with the senior boys, which is so important.
“If you can get overseas and fill the gaps in, added to the England lads when they’re available, we have a great squad.
“And we haven’t even spoken about the bowlers.
“Unfortunately, Matthew Fisher is going to be leaving the club, but in the likes of Matt Milnes, Ben Coad, Ben Cliff, Jordan Thompson and Dan Moriarty, we’re in a really good place.”
Yorkshire’s Dom Bess celebrates taking a catch from his own bowling to dismiss Durham’s Ashton Turner, during the Vitality Blast – Yorkshire Vikings v Durham Jets in July at Headingley.
Bess is ending the season impressively, best highlighted by taking seven wickets and hitting an unbeaten 60 in the home draw with Middlesex at Headingley, which finished at the start of this month.
“I didn’t start the summer in the side, and that was then down to myself to really put my hand up when I got an opportunity,” he continued.
“It’s obviously a non-negotiable about where I am with a spinner and what needs to be done.
“With some of the wickets we have at Headingley when it doesn’t spin, it’s about holding an end up and building pressure that way. That came to the fore against Middlesex when I bowled 70 overs. I was really proud of how I went about that.
“I also like to pride myself on trying to get higher up the order with the bat but, more importantly, making runs count when they’re needed.”
Yorkshire’s Dan Moriarty & Dom Bess leave the field after taking 4 wickets apiece against Glamorgan, during the Vitality County Championship match against Glamorgan at Headingley.
Alongside his five Championship appearances to date in 2024, Bess has been an ever-present in limited overs cricket for Yorkshire this summer, taking 21 wickets.
“I spoke initially with the first management team about how we wanted to push my white ball game, and they saw a lot of potential in that,” he said. “Since then, there’s been continued development through the years of playing and understanding my own game.
“The T20 side, I’ve been in it since I joined, and I feel like I have a real clear understanding of my role within that set-up.”
Bess played the last of his 14 Tests for England in early 2021, though the desire to add to that number remains strong.
He added: “My desire to play for England is as strong as it’s ever been. That’s something I want more of.
“I was involved when I was much younger, and it’s a different set-up now.
“I haven’t been involved in the McCullum era, but I speak to quite a few of the lads and they say that it’s a great environment to be in.
“But, taking it a step back, the priority is to perform for Yorkshire.
“If I can be involved with a team that’s winning at Yorkshire – hopefully that’s in Division One and in a white ball team – those individual accolades will hopefully come. The main thing is bringing trophies home to Headingley.”
