Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Will Luxton at the crease in Yorkshire’s second innings.
Will Luxton built on his first-innings 167 with an eye-catching 69 as Yorkshire pushed for a Rothesay County Championship win over Warwickshire at Scarborough, setting the visitors a stiff victory target of 453 after tea on day three.
The White Rose opener impressed again with seven fours and a six in 115 balls after Jonny Bairstow opted against enforcing the follow-on just before lunch with a first-innings lead of 206.
In reply to Yorkshire’s first-innings 469, Warwickshire had been bowled out for 263 as Hassan Ali and Jack White finished with three wickets apiece and visiting captain Ed Barnard top-scored with a composed 83 not out.
Yorkshire’s progress with the bat second time around – to 246-6 declared – wasn’t entirely straightforward. With signs of a deteriorating pitch, they slipped to 79-4 and, when Luxton was out midway through the afternoon, 115-5.
But Bairstow also posted his second fifty off the match, an important 62, while George Hill finished on 65 not out as the declaration came to leave Warwickshire with 15 overs of batting to do before close. They reached 44-1.
Luxton, 23-years-old, fell short of becoming the first Yorkshire batter to ever post two hundreds in the same Championship match on this ground. Others have done it in first-class matches, but Sussex batter Michael Yardy (2011) remains the only player to have done it here in this competition.
It took Yorkshire 66 minutes to be precise to wrap up Warwickshire’s first innings, which had resumed this morning on 225-7.
Hassan Ali and Jack White finished with three wickets apiece.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. That way to victory? Hassan Ali celebrates the morning dismissal of Ethan Bamber, one of two the Pakistani overseas quick took early on day three.
Hassan claimed two of his scalps this morning, with George Hill picking up the other.
Hassan bowled Keith Barker for 21 and trapped Ethan Bamber lbw before Hill bowled Oliver Hannon-Dalby.
Barnard played nicely for the Bears, moving from 60 at the start of play. He was largely watchful but hit two sixes in his 144-ball innings, including one this morning – launched straight down the ground off White.
Yorkshire then reached lunch at 27-1 from 12 overs of their second innings, losing Adam Lyth bowled shouldering arms at Bamber along the way.
There were signs of uneven bounce starting to creep in, added to increased spin, and further success came for Warwickshire in the form of Indian Manav Suthar and Hannon-Dalby as the score fell to 79-4 in the 26th over.
Suthar’s left-arm spin had Sam Whiteman caught at short-leg off bat and pad before Hannon-Dalby had James Wharton lbw pushing forwards and bowled Matthew Revis via a bottom-edge.
Luxton, however, ensured Yorkshire continued to progress.
He played a couple of eye-catching off-side strokes off both the front and back foot en-route to a 76-ball fifty.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Runs and a wicket for George Hill today.
But nothing was better than the six he whipped over deep mid-wicket off Hannon-Dalby to take Yorkshire’s lead beyond 300.
Luxton, dropped at mid-wicket as he hit the shot which brought him his fifty, shared 36 for the fifth wicket with Bairstow before becoming the second home batter to be caught at short-leg against spin – 115-5 in the 37th over.
This time, it was versatile Australian all-rounder Beau Webster who struck with his off-spin. In the first innings, Webster bowled seam.
Bairstow and Hill then progressed things nicely either side of tea.
The White Rose reached the break at 154-5 and with a lead of 360.
Hill slog-swept Webster for six over deep mid-wicket to move into the forties, and he was actually first to fifty before Bairstow, off 69 balls.
By that stage, Yorkshire were 198-5 with a lead of 404.
Bairstow also got there off 69 balls to supplement the 68 he scored in the first innings.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Captain Jonny Bairstow on the drive at North Marine Road today.
Hill and Bairstow shared 119 for the sixth wicket, a partnership broken almost immediately before the declaration when the latter was caught behind off a Bamber slower ball which he miscued straight up.
Rob Yates and Alex Davies then played confidently in sharing 38 for the first wicket in the Warwickshire chase.
But their partnership was broken when Yates edged Hill low down to first slip for 20 in the 13th over. Davies will begin tomorrow on 19 alongside nightwatchman Bamber.
