Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jack White celebrates the early wicket of Paul Walter this morning.
Yorkshire’s bowlers worked hard for little reward during the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Essex at Clifton Park in York as visiting captain Tom Westley scored a determined 107 off 239 balls.
Essex were given a handy start to this ninth-round fixture, the venue’s first four-day match since 2019, on a glorious day weather wise, the visitors closing on 248-3 from 96 overs.
Second-wicket pair Dean Elgar, who made 94 off 248, and captain Westley were at the heart things for Essex, sharing 198.
After Westley won the toss, Jack White struck in the 10th over for the White Rose, who went wicketless through to late evening when Ben Coad and Will Sutherland struck in successive overs.
Yorkshire were by no means overwhelmed by Essex’s top order. They kept the scoring rate in check at the start of this ninth-round clash between two sides threatened by relegation.
Yorkshire made three changes from their draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last week, with overseas pair Abdullah Shafique and Will Sutherland debuting and Ben Coad coming in. Out went Dawid Malan, Dan Moriarty and Will O’Rourke.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Essex captain Tom Westley celebrates his century today.
Essex also drew last week, at home to Hampshire.
Yorkshire and Essex started this game separated by 14 points in the table, the former occupying ninth place in the table – the second relegation spot ahead of Worcestershire – and the latter in eighth.
This was Westley’s second successive Championship hundred after a rearguard 130 on day four against Hampshire at Chelmsford on Wednesday.
This wasn’t a day which got the juices flowing by any stretch of the imagination, with the Kookaburra ball in play on a surface lacking any real pace.
Whether it breaks up later in the game to bring the spinners into play will be interesting to see.
If not, it’s already a distinct possibility that the likes of wicketkeepers Jonny Bairstow and Michael Pepper will be bowling after tea on Wednesday afternoon.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. The scene at Clifton Park today, where Championship cricket was being played for the first time since 2019.
This is the first Championship match being played here since 2019, when Yorkshire were beaten by Warwickshire, and Clifton Park once again looked a picture in the blazing sun.
Essex lost opener Paul Walter caught at second slip off a leading edge as he looked to whip White to leg, leaving the score at 24-1.
Elgar’s first of 11 boundaries was beautifully pushed down the ground off George Hill’s bowling and later reached his fifty off 116 balls – in the same over which saw Westley get to the same milestone off 90.
By that stage, Essex were 117-1 in the 39th.
Westley was the more aggressive of the two batters, though not by any great degree. He drove with obvious class.
Hill actually spent the latter stages of the morning session off the field due to a bit of illness.
Picture by YCCC. Abdullah Shafique signs autographs ahead of his Yorkshire debut.
Aside from a lack of wickets, there weren’t a truckload of chances created by persistent Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the obvious one that did arrive, Adam Lyth was unable to hold just before tea at slip off Dom Bess with Elgar on 69.
Essex reached tea at 164-1 from 64 overs.
The day’s first of only five extras came at the start of the 67th over, a leg bye as Bess bowled to Elgar.
Thankfully, Yorkshire were able to strike twice in the space of six balls in successive overs late in the day as Essex fell to 226-3 in the 87th. Westley was trapped lbw playing back against Coad before pulling Elgar was caught behind one-handed down leg by Bairstow off Sutherland.
