Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean have helped put their county in good shape at the halfway stage of their clash with Essex at York.
Yorkshire enjoyed an encouraging second day, particularly with the ball, to get themselves back into contention in their Rothesay County Championship clash against Essex at York’s Clifton Park.
Essex started the day on 248-3 but were bowled out for 368 during the early afternoon, with the home county’s wickets shared around. New-ball seamer Jack White finished with 3-68 from 27 overs and was one of a trio of bowlers to claim two wickets today alongside George Hill and Dom Bess.
Essex’s last seven wickets fell for 95 as they were unable to gain any momentum on a slow, attritional pitch and, as a result, relinquished the initiative as Yorkshire closed on 143-3 from 54 overs, a deficit of 225.
That they did was also down largely to Yorkshire linchpin Lyth, who finished the day on 65 from 172 balls and shared 81 for the first wicket with Fin Bean (31).
Yorkshire started their innings more positive than Essex had been with the bat.
It did bring them reward but also cost them the wicket of James Wharton, who drilled Simon Harmer’s off-spin to mid-on after tea when looking to go over the top having shimmied down the pitch.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Graham Gooch and Sir Geoffrey Boycott watch today’s play from the hospitality marquee at Clifton Park.
As you would expect, Lyth was handsome on the drive. He also pulled with authority. So did Bean. He looked in good order but will have been mightily frustrated to fall caught behind down leg off Shane Snater’s seam when looking set.
Lyth and Essex all-rounder Noah Thain were the day’s two fifty-makers.
Thain finished 50 not out off 81 balls, not facing another ball after reaching his milestone.
Yorkshire struck three times in five overs for the addition of only three runs just before midday as Essex slipped from 273-3 in the 104th over to 276-6 in the 109th. With it, Yorkshire secured a second bowling point.
Hill claimed two of those wickets, with England fringe batter Jordan Cox caught behind for 33 playing off the back foot and Charlie Allison caught slicing to point.
Thain shared a seventh-wicket 56 with Michael Pepper through until early afternoon and reached his fifty off the last ball that he faced, with the last four wickets falling for 36.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill claimed two quick wickets this morning to continue his excellent summer with the ball.
Off-spinner Bess picked up two of those. He had Simon Harmer caught at slip and Shane Snater caught at long-on.
Lyth and Bean then shared their half-century stand to get Yorkshire up and running with the bat.
Both looked in good order and pulled confidently.
Unfortunately, however, Bean, last week’s double centurion at Nottingham, fell on 31 when caught behind down leg off Snater’s bowling.
Further success for Essex came as Wharton fell to Harmer and Pakistani overseas debutant Abdullah Shafique was the fourth batter in the match to be caught behind down leg, this time for four, as Thain struck with the help of a brilliant one-handed catch going to his left from gloveman Pepper.
That left Yorkshire at 125-3 in the 41st over.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth drives en-route to another fifty.
From there, Lyth and captain Jonny Bairstow had to see the day through, which they did. They navigated the threat of Harmer, who returned excellent figures of 1-18 from 15 overs. Lyth only scored two runs from the 39th over onwards, a two through the covers off Harmer in the day’s final over.
And the hosts will look to bat through day three and beyond Essex to give themselves hope of forcing a victory on day four.
This game may not have been all action, but it could still build to a thrilling crescendo.
