Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jack White celebrates one of his three day four wickets, finishing with an excellent 4-37.
Yorkshire completed a stunning 10-wicket, fourth day victory over Essex at York to leapfrog their visitors at the bottom of the Rothesay County Championship Division One table.
The White Rose were behind the eight-ball yesterday when, in their first-innings reply to 368, they were 273-8 and still 95 runs in arrears.
But Matthew Revis and Ben Coad starred in an exhilarating turnaround, supplemented by the excellence of new-ball seamer Jack White.
Revis and Coad starred with career best scores of 150 and 89 to take Yorkshire to 459 yesterday, a lead of 91. Coad then returned three second-innings wickets and Revis removed key man Jordan Cox for 55 as Essex were bowled out for 131.
White’s 4-37 from 20.1 overs led the way today, however, as Yorkshire set up a target of 41 and secured 20 points for their second win from nine games this season, jumping out of the relegation places in the process.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Ben Coad and Matthew Revis were key performers in Yorkshire’s second win of the season, as was cover photo star Jack White.
Adam Lyth and Fin Bean were then tasked with chasing a target of 41 after tea, and there were no dramas.
Essex’s third defeat in nine games consigned them to second-bottom in the table, three points behind Yorkshire with five rounds of the summer remaining.
The exploits of Revis and Coad with bat and ball yesterday created some significant momentum for Yorkshire.
And Coad and his new-ball partner White built on that during a 55-minute morning session, with Essex slipping from 33-3 after 16 overs overnight to 48-6 in 28. Rain delayed the start of play until 11.25am and forced the players off the field at 12.20pm.
Only 12 overs were bowled in a superb burst as nightwatchman Simon Harmer sliced a low catch to Abdullah Shafique diving forwards at gully, handing Coad a third wicket of the innings, before White trapped Matt Critchley lbw pushing forwards and sent Charlie Allison’s off-stump cartwheeling.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Charlie Allison lost his off-stump to Jack White today.
Play was due to start at 1.25pm following an early lunch but was delayed briefly again by rain, the day’s third stoppage.
When play did resume – 68 overs remaining, Essex 48-6 – Yorkshire were frustrated for a period by Cox and Michael Pepper, who shared a seventh-wicket 59 to take the Chelmsford county into the lead.
Determined, no frills batting was the order of the day, just as Essex had done on day four of the reverse fixture in May when they batted through with only six wickets in hand to secure a draw.
So it was a significant surprise when Cox, who had just reached his fifty off 89 balls, under-edged Revis behind when driving expansively – the score now 107 for seven and a visiting lead of 16.
Fourteen runs later, Pepper, on 32, also tried to attack without success – this time edging a cut behind against White. Essex were now eight down and 23 ahead.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jack White celebrates the dismissal of Michael Pepper as Yorkshire closed in on victory.
Dom Bess’s off-spin bowled Noah Thain shortly afterwards before White wrapped things up by getting Khaleel Ahmed caught at second slip by Lyth, signalling tea.
Openers Lyth and Fin Bean, the latter on his home ground, then reached the target in nine overs with ease. Lyth finished with 15 and Bean 18.
