Yorkshire are keen to seal promotion in style this weekend by beating Northamptonshire at Headingley.
The county require only a maximum of 10 points from their final match of 2024, starting tomorrow – 10.30am, to secure a return to Division One of the Vitality County Championship.
Yorkshire are sat second in Division Two on 201 points from 13 games, 15 clear of Middlesex in third. They have 186. There are only 24 more points available in the race for the second promotion place behind leaders Sussex, who are already up.
Middlesex face Sussex at Hove.
If Yorkshire, for whom Matthew Fisher plays his final game before leaving the club, and Middlesex finish level on points, Middlesex would be promoted as a result of bettering the tiebreakers. That’s why Yorkshire need 10 points to get 25 clear of their rivals.
Of course, Yorkshire can still mathematically pip Sussex to the title. Sussex (221) are 20 points clear, meaning they only need four points to seal top spot. They have won eight games to Yorkshire’s five, the first tiebreaker for level points being most wins. The others, incidentally, are fewest losses and most points in head-to-head battles.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Tattersall will captain Yorkshire once again during the final round of 2024.
Yes, it would be great if Yorkshire can win the title. But more realistically, they could do with Sussex having the better of things against Middlesex.
A draw at Headingley, against fourth-placed Northamptonshire, would almost certainly be enough for Yorkshire to seal promotion. But here is a side brimming with confidence, one which has won five of their last six matches since the midway point in the season.
And they want to continue that winning run.
“It would be nice if we can go to Headingley and finish it off with a victory,” said Jonny Tattersall, who has captained the side for the last four matches in the absence of Shan Masood.
“The cricket we’re playing and the team we’ve got out at the minute – even the lads who are not playing at the minute – we fully expect ourselves to be able to get over the line.
“We’ve got the confidence in the group and the belief that we can keep performing and beat anyone, as we’ve proven.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ottis Gibson is set for his final game in charge of Yorkshire.
To have the chance of achieving promotion at home should not be overlooked.
In 2012, when they won promotion, they sealed it at Chelmsford. In 2014 and 2015, when they won the Division One title in successive seasons, they sealed it at Trent Bridge and Lord’s respectively.
Last September, Worcestershire sealed promotion at Headingley during the early stages of a final round clash which Yorkshire went on to win on the final day.
This will be coach Ottis Gibson’s last match in charge before he leaves the club after three seasons in charge.
“I’m generally not an emotional person, but hopefully this week I’ll be able to keep things together and we can win and go up,” said the former West Indies fast bowler.
In the build-up to this fixture, Gibson has paid tribute to Yorkshire’s supporters and, having already received a couple of leaving presents, is planning to return the favour by securing a return to the Championship’s top-flight.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow is available once again for Yorkshire.
“For those that travel and come to Headingley, we appreciate them all,” he said.
“Especially the ones who can travel every week, we appreciate them so much – Alice (Worsley) and her family and the other guys.
“Last week, Steve (Boocock) and his wife Gillian, they brought me a little thank you present, which meant a lot. Alice and her dad did the same as well.
“Hopefully we can finish it off and I can sign off my taking Yorkshire back into the first division. I came with Yorkshire in the first division. If I can leave with them in the first division, that’s fine.”
All-rounder Dom Bess echoed Gibson’s thoughts.
Bess is in line to make his 100th career first-class appearance, and he said: “The importance of what the club’s been through recently, I think it’s going to be incredibly special if we can get it done.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess has happy memories of facing Northamptonshire.
“It will be even more special at Headingley, to do it in front of our fans. We know those who travel to the away games, but those who can’t get to away games can hopefully come and see us get over the line.
“The fans have stuck with us, and that’s been important because there’s been a lot of people targeting us.
“It’s a reflection of where we are as a group. We’ve had to be quite tight, together.”
Bess’s career best figures of 7-43 came for Yorkshire against Northamptonshire in early 2021 – in the first innings of a Division One victory at Wantage Road.
He has claimed three seven-wicket hauls with his off-spinners in his first-class career, one for Somerset and two for Yorkshire. The other seven-for whilst wearing the white rose came in the draw against Middlesex at Headingley at the end of last month.
“There’s some good memories of playing Northamptonshire – we’ve had some good games against them,” he added.
Picture by John Heald. Matthew Fisher will play his final match for Yorkshire before heading on to pastures new.
“We beat them by one run at Headingley (April 2021) when Steve Patterson took the final wicket.
“It’s all set up for a good final game.”
Northamptonshire were relegated from Division One last year. They’re sat fourth this season with two wins, three losses and eight draws. One of those draws was against Yorkshire at Wantage Road in late May when the hosts, chasing 326 on the final day, held on at 250-8.
Adam Lyth had a match to remember with a first-innings century and four wickets in the second innings.
Captained by all-rounder Luke Procter, they beat Leicestershire by nine wickets at home last week. They are searching for a new coach following the recent departure of John Sadler.
Overseas Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returned home after last week’s Leicestershire win.
