Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Winning coach Anthony McGrath chats to Jack White on the boundary edge today.
Head coach Anthony McGrath was thrilled with Yorkshire’s dominant performance as they brushed Sussex aside at Scarborough by an innings and 128 runs to win their third match of this summer Rothesay County Championship.
Adam Lyth (115) and Matthew Revis (152 not out) scored first-innings centuries in the county’s 545-9 declared, with Sussex bowled out for 222 and, today, 195.
Matt Milnes was the star of the show in the second innings, completing a fine 5-31 from 16.4 overs, his best haul in a White Rose shirt. He took seven wickets in the match in all.
Jack White also impressed with five wickets across the two innings of a match in which the White Rose fielded brilliantly. James Wharton’s stunning diving catch to remove Tom Haines on day one highlighted that, as did a direct hit Imam Ul-Haq run out to remove Tom Alsop in the second innings.
Yorkshire claimed 22 points to move out of the bottom two in Division One. They are now 12 clear of Durham with three rounds remaining.
“To get 22 points gets us up that table now, and hopefully we’re looking upwards now and not downwards,” said McGrath.
“I think it’s rounded off a really solid two weeks against two of the clubs that were above us, Surrey (draw) and Sussex.
“We got curtailed by the weather last week, but this week we backed up the performance and dominated all days. It was a brilliant all-round performance.
“These two weeks were crucial, really. We had to get some points on the board.
“Surrey, we know how good they are. Then, Sussex, who have been flying high apart from last week.
“To get 36 points or something like that, and particularly with other teams losing and not getting any points, it’s a real boost.”
While Lyth and Revis starred with the bat, to bowl Sussex out cheaply twice with the Kookaburra ball was quite the effort on what was a pitch with good pace and bounce.
“It’s certainly up there as one of our best bowling performances of the season,” said McGrath. “I think the one at York (against Essex) was good as well. That’s what I’m liking from the team now, we’re bowling as a unit.”
“You can see the lads were all delighted for Milnesy. We’ve had to manage him carefully given his previous two years (back stress fractures).
“The backroom staff have been brilliant. I have to give them a big shout out.”
On the standout performer with the bat, he said: “Matthew Revis is playing really well. You can see in his body language the confidence and the belief he’s got. But his technique is really, really good. He looks a high-class performer.”
In terms of the Wharton catch, McGrath said: “Brilliant, wasn’t it?
“Wharts is one of the hardest workers when it comes to his fielding.
“We’ve seen it in T20, and he’s probably the only person that could have got to that ball. To turn and sprint and dive full length was unbelievable.”
McGrath also confirmed that Dom Bess, captain this week, will continue to lead the side in the forthcoming Metro Bank One-Day Cup, which starts at North Marine Road against Warwickshire on Tuesday.
He added: “He’s done a brilliant job when he’s stood in for Jonny Bairstow this season, and I think how he captained this game was fantastic as well.
“You can see the efforts and the atmosphere out there, and Dom was a big part of that.
“So yeah, he’ll lead us into that.
“I know he enjoys the captaincy stuff, and I think he’s got a good cricket brain too.”
