Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Matthew Revis acknowledges the applause following his 110 not out on day three at North Marine Road.
Matthew Revis scored a brilliant 110 not out – his second successive century in the Rothesay County Championship – to help Yorkshire reach a first-innings 517-6 declared on day three at Scarborough before Surrey’s top order averted any potential danger.
Emerging all-rounder Revis is in outstanding mid-season form and played the feature innings here from late on day one to late morning day three, capitalising on the platform set by the likes of Fin Bean with 57, James Wharton 78, Will Luxton 71 and Jonny Bairstow 72.
Last month, he scored an unbeaten 93 in the draw against then top-of-the-table Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge before a brilliant 150 in the second innings of the win over Essex at York last month.
Here, against another county who are now top of Division One, he hit 13 fours and five sixes in 134 balls, moving from 50 to 100 in only 35.
Unfortunately, Surrey responded in kind to Yorkshire’s commanding total, closing day three on 338-4 from 83 overs, and the two sides will shake hards on a draw tomorrow evening.
Their opener Dom Sibley became the first man in either division of the Championship to reach 1,000 runs for the season. He did upon getting to 24 shortly after lunch and went on to make 52. Ryan Patel top-scored with 86 not out off 133 balls, while Rory Burns and Dan Lawrence also went beyond 50.
For Revis, 23, this period has been a coming of age. He has performed before with both bat and ball, including on this ground a couple of years back when he took a 50-over hat-trick.
Picture by Dave Williams. Matthew Revis receives a standing ovation from the Yorkshire members as he walks off with 110 not out to his name.
But now he is backing up one special performance with another – the type of thing which catches the eye of the England selectors. They certainly have their eye on him, and it would be no surprise to see him gain Lions recognition this winter alongside his county colleague George Hill.
In fact, 40 minutes after Yorkshire’s declaration this morning, the ECB announced their plans for a Lions tour of Australia this winter to run alongside the first two Ashes Test Matches in Perth and Brisbane in November and December.
Revis dominated the morning session, which he started on 34, as Yorkshire chased quick runs.
He first of all helped to take 20 off one Jamie Overton over and then launched Sai Kishore’s left-arm spin for two sixes in three balls – one straight and the other slog-swept over deep mid-wicket – to move into the eighties as Yorkshire racked up the runs.
Kishore had Will Sutherland, for 17, caught at mid-off following a miscue.
But they were unable to limit the runs as Revis careered towards another ton.
By the time he reached it, off 131 balls – his second fifty came in 35, Yorkshire were 497-6. Dom Bess also contributed 45 to an unbroken 113-stand from 404-6.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Dom Bess celebrates removing Will Jacks this evening, one of three wickets for the off-spinning all-rounder.
Had Yorkshire then struck quickly with the ball, they may well have kicked the door ajar on a win, despite almost a day of the first two being wiped out by the weather.
But Surrey’s openers Sibley and Rory Burns slammed it shut, sharing 134 either side of lunch.
The visiting pair confidently saw off the new ball, reaching lunch at 33-0 after 10 overs.
When Sibley reached his 1,000, they were 64-0, with Burns on 36.
Left-handed Surrey captain Burns went on to reach 50 first, off 78 balls, including nine fours and a pulled six off Jordan Thompson. Burns went on to post 78 off 136.
Sibley followed him there, off 87 balls, by which time Surrey were 129-0.
However, he didn’t last much longer, caught at short-leg as he tried to whip a short ball from Bess through mid-wicket and could only find short-leg. That left the score at 134-1 in the 36th over.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Dom Sibley, with 52 today, became the first batter in the country to reach 1,000 Championship runs for the season.
Further success was around the corner when Burns shovelled a pull at Thompson to wide mid-on with 150 on the board.
Surrey started the evening quite skittishly.
Patel was by no means safe and secure but survived.
Will Jacks, meanwhile, reverse swept Bess for two boundaries through point before falling – on 17 – in almost identical fashion to how Sibley did, leaving Surrey at 194-3 in the 52nd over.
Patel shared 115 with England Test fringe batter Lawrence, who dominated with 78 off 77 balls, including 13 fours and a six.
Lawrence looked well set for a century before close, only to fall to Bess when he pulled out to deep mid-wicket, where Will Luxton took a smart low catch – 309-4 in the 74th over.
Bess finished his profitable day with 3-87 from 25 overs.
