Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth scored a brilliant North Marine Road century today.
Adam Lyth scored his fifth century in the Rothesay County Championship at Scarborough today, and the likelihood is that there will be many more to follow in the coming years.
Lyth’s superb 115 took him beyond 1,000 runs in the Championship for the sixth time in his career and for the third year running, helping Yorkshire close day two against Sussex on 292-4 in reply to a first-innings 222.
The great thing is that at 37-years-old, he shows no signs of slowing up.
He had revealed his desire to carry on playing for as long as possible on numerous occasions already this season and reiterated it whilst stood looking out over a North Marine Road venue he knows oh so well.
“I’m 37, but I’m still playing as well as I ever have done,” he said. “As long as the club want me, I’ll be here. I ain’t stopping any time soon.”
Lyth was asked this evening if he had a number in mind age wise that he could go on to.
“I don’t know. I have no idea,” he said.
Darren Stevens’ name was even thrown at Lyth. The former Kent all-rounder retired at the end of 2022 aged 46. Could he match that or even go on beyond?
“Look, I’ll play as long as I can,” he continued. “I’m still fit enough and am getting the runs. I’ll play as long as the club want me, and hopefully that’s a very long time.
“It was a great day personally. It would have been nice to be there at the end rather than getting out just after a hundred.
“But it was nice to tick 1,000 runs off for the season, and I’ve never done it three successive seasons before.
“To get a hundred on my home ground, my fifth, it’s very special.”
On Yorkshire’s position in the game, he reflected: “The way we bowled, the lads were absolutely fantastic. Yeah, they got a bit of a partnership at the end, which was a bit frustrating. But if 10 and 11 are putting 70 on, you know that it’s not a bad wicket.
“We knew that with a couple of really big partnerships, we could get ahead of the game. The way that Matthew Revis and Harry Duke played at the back end, nearly putting 50 on, it took the sting out of things.
“Hopefully tomorrow, another couple of big partnerships and a couple more bonus points would be lovely. The main thing is to get as big a lead as we can and then get back bowling the way we have done.
“We’re in a good position, but it’s about how we go about our batting tomorrow if we want to make it a really good position.”
Lyth shared a third-wicket 168 partnership with James Wharton, who contributed 85.
It was another contribution following his stunning day one catch.
“It was a fantastic catch, wasn’t it,” said Lyth.
As Lyth said that, bowling coach Mick Lewis walked past and shouted playfully: “Not that catch again, it’s old news!”
This was the highest score of Wharton’s seven Championship fifties this season.
Lyth added: “If he keeps playing the way he is, it’s only a matter of time (before he gets a century).
“I guess his decision-making is going to be the key for him to go on and get that really big score, like he has done in the past. He just misjudged the length a little bit there, and there was a bit of turn as well.
“But, look, he’s playing fantastically well.
“He’s going to have a very bright future ahead of him, and I think he can go all the way and play for England.”
