Yorkshire enjoyed an encouraging day of friendly cricket against Durham at Headingley today, with performances of note with both bat and ball.
Rain forced no play on day one yesterday, meaning a 45-over red ball fixture was played today.
Fans, coaches and team-mates alike will be pleased by Matt Milnes’ 1-19 from six overs as he continues his smooth recovery from a stress fracture of the back.
Durham made 189-4 from 39.1 overs, their innings curtailed by afternoon rain. Yorkshire later responded with 222-9 from 42.5 overs.
Other home winners included Matthew Revis. He finished with the pick of the bowling figures, 1-22 from eight overs, before adding 34 with the willow.
Adam Lyth and Fin Bean shared an impressive 83-run opening partnership and were two of three batters who retired out with 38 and 35 respectively. So, only six Yorkshire wickets fell. James Wharton was the other with an eye-catching 38.
Milnes bowled five overs with the new ball from the Howard Stand End this morning and had opener Michael Jones caught at first slip by George Hill to break a 50-run opening stand with Alex Lees, who made 37.
Revis then had Lees caught at backward point off a leading edge.
There were signs of England’s ultra-aggressive approach to Test cricket in the way Lees played after he had won the toss.
The left-hander had, after all, played all of last summer under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum before being left out this winter.
He rode his luck at times against the new ball, but played some meaty strokes before holing out to Revis two overs after Jones had departed – 53-2.
Dom Bess also struck, as did Ben Coad, who had wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson smartly caught behind by Jonny Tattersall for a well made 82 off 64 balls.
Robinson hit three sixes, two down the ground off Bess and one pulled off Ben Mike.
He shared 59 for the third wicket with youngster Harry Crawshaw and 62 for the fourth with Liam Trevaskis (28 not out).
Yorkshire could definitely have had more reward with the new ball as Lees and Jones both inside-edged down to the fine-leg fence.
Milnes bowled one over in his second spell before rain arrived to end Durham’s innings early shortly before 2pm.
When play resumed after just over a half hour delay, Lyth and Bean played confidently against the new ball, uniting for 16 overs before walking off to give others time in the middle.
The scoreboard had them as retired out. While there was the odd close call – as you would expect in bowler-friendly conditions at this time of year – they had looked pretty secure.
Lyth played two particularly handsome strokes against England fringe seamer Brydon Carse, who was joined in the Durham attack by Matty Potts. Last month, Potts toured New Zealand with England’s Test team.
Lyth drove Carse down the ground for four and pulled him for six over mid-wicket.
The partnership of Lyth and Bean may yet, of course, be called upon for the opening Championship game against Leicestershire here next week if captain Shan Masood is unavailable because of international commitments.
Wharton looked in good order as well having come in alongside Hill to replace Lyth and Bean at the crease.
He pulled Oliver Gibson for six and pushed him down the ground for four off the back foot before retiring as he neared the 40-mark.
Hill, caught behind for 21, was one of three wickets to fall to the left-arm spin of Trevaskis, though he also hit a six like Lyth and Wharton had done.
In fact, Lyth, Wharton, Hill, Revis, Jordan Thompson and Mike all cleared the ropes, the latter two making breezy 18s as Yorkshire reached and went beyond 200.
Yorkshire are back in friendly action on Saturday when they host Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities here in a three-day affair.