Rewind to early April, 2017. Anthony McGrath had just left Yorkshire as a consultant coach for a more permanent role as assistant coach at Essex and Hampshire were the visitors to Headingley for the opening County Championship match of the season. Ben Coad, aged 23 at the time, had five first-class wickets to his name and just one of those coming in the Championship.
He claimed a brilliant first-innings 6-37, and eight wickets in the match, as Yorkshire were beaten. Coad went on to take 31 wickets in the opening five matches of that summer, securing his place in the county’s team – something he has not relinquished since but for injuries and rest.
Tomorrow, Coad – aged 31 – will turn up at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton to face Hampshire in a season opener once again (11am).
He is without doubt one of county cricket’s premier new ball seam bowlers, with 302 first-class wickets to his name, including 281 of those in the Championship. Those 281 wickets have come at 20.02 apiece.
“If I can have a game like that again, I will be very happy,” said talismanic Coad of that 2017 clash. “That’s what kick-started my career, that game and my start to the season.
“Looking back at that bowling department, it was hard to break into. There was Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Patterson, Jack Brooks, Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Coad acknowledges the acclaim of the Headingley crowd after taking six wickets against Hampshire in early 2017.
“I just had to bide my time.
“Unfortunately for the team, there was a couple of injuries, but it gave me a chance to prove myself, and I’d like to think I took it with both hands.
“Those names, they were pretty phenomenal bowlers. But there’s some great talent coming through at the moment, and hopefully we can get to that sort of level.”
Coach McGrath was effusive in his praise for Coad, whose development he has watched from afar over the last few years before returning to Headingley in November.
“Coady’s been the most consistent bowler in county cricket, hasn’t he,” said the former Yorkshire captain.
“He’s probably got overlooked a bit being in Division Two over the last couple of years, and then people talk about his pace. But his skills are incredible – on any kind of pitch.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Coad en-route to six wickets against Hampshire at the start of 2017 – his maiden first-class and Championship five-for.
“We saw it in the friendly against Lancashire and in Abu Dhabi against Somerset. On flat wickets, he just never misses.
“For someone who has not got a great deal of pace, he asks so many questions and is so dangerous.
“He will be up there with the Sam Cook, (Kyle) Abbott, (Mohammad) Abbas as someone who has got wicket after wicket in all conditions. Coady is right, right up there.
“You need pace, but like everything it’s a balance. You need a mixture of everything. It’s not always about 90 mph, it’s about skill as well.
“He’s been very unlucky even not to have been looked at for the Lions. To rule someone out just on pace is tough.”
Hampshire finished second last year in Division One and third in each of the two seasons before that, so there consistency has been mightily impressive.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. New red-ball captain Jonny Bairstow at last week’s Opening Season Lunch. In taking charge of Yorkshire, Jonny ensures that himself and late father David are the first father-son combination to be officially appointed as Yorkshire captains.
But they have lost captain James Vince, who has stepped away from red-ball cricket to concentrate on the shorter formats, while Australian overseas all-rounder Jack Edwards has pulled out of his deal late on due to injury.
Pakistan seamer Mo Abbas has gone to Nottinghamshire, while experienced seamer Kyle Abbott remains and all-rounder Brett Hampton – a New Zealander – has replaced Edwards for the early stages of the summer.
“It’s always nice to start the first game of the season at Headingley, but I’ve enjoyed playing down at Hampshire,” added Coad.
“I think we can do really well against them and will put them under pressure first up.
“That’s going to be a good gauge to see where we are. But we’re definitely not going to be afraid of that team. We’ll just stick to our processes, and if we play to our capabilities there’s no reason why we can’t get a result down there.”
Yorkshire will be without New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears for this weekend’s opener. He is set to debut against Worcestershire at Headingley next weekend.
Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com. Anthony McGrath leads Yorkshire into this season as the county’s new head coach.
That may open the door for Ben Cliff to play after impressing McGrath, captain Jonny Bairstow and bowling coach Mick Lewis in Abu Dhabi and through the latter stages of pre-season. Lewis also worked with him in Melbourne in the New Year.
Cliff, 22, has only taken three wickets in two Championship appearances so far.
A similar impact to the one Coad had as an up and comer against Hampshire eight years ago would be most welcome if he does indeed get the nod.
