Dom Bess is brimming with confidence at present in terms of his own game, and it’s a feeling he believes is matched as a Yorkshire team in general.
Bess feels his all-round game is in an excellent place at present.
He is also hopeful that himself and his team-mates can capitalise on the encouraging position they find themselves in across two competitions heading into the final two months of the season.
On the back-burner for now is the County Championship, in which promotion from Division Two is being chased. With five games left, they are four points off second-placed Middlesex and 27 behind leaders Sussex – their next two opponents at home in late August through to early September.
First things first, though, and Bess and co have won two of their opening three Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches to raise hopes of a first piece of limited overs silverware since 2002.
There’s a long to go yet, with five matches still to play in the race for a top-three finish and knockout qualification from Group B. But the Vikings can dream.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Dom Bess cuts at York yesterday.
That dream will come closer to being reality should they beat Gloucestershire at York (11am) tomorrow.
“As a group now, we’ve played this comp for two or three years and haven’t missed many people,” said Bess.
“There’s an element of a young player getting your opportunity and learning. But there’s lads who’ve played a lot of cricket, and I think now it’s our time to kick on.
“Everyone who follows county cricket knows it’s about building blocks to the end.
“There’s a reason why it’s called the county grind, because it is up until September.
“It’s only really in late August and September when you start winning things and walking home with trophies. Ultimately, that’s where we’re getting to.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Dom Bess added a crucial lower middle order 37 yesterday. He has been working particularly hard on his batting this year.
“I wouldn’t say it yet because there’s a lot of games to go, but we’ve put ourselves in a nice position in this One-Day comp.
“The next two games in the County Championship are Sussex and Middlesex, and that’s really going to determine who goes up. It’s exciting, and that’s why you play.
“As a group, we’re really coming together.
“We’ve been together for three or four years, and they’ve probably been three or four of the worst years for Yorkshire.
“But the cream rises, and hopefully that’s going to show now.
“When you look at the group, apart from myself, Shan (Masood) and Moz (Dan Moriarty), everyone else has come through the Academy. There’s a real close-knit group. And that makes it easier to have honest conversations.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Eye of the Tiger! Dan Moriarty celebrates a wicket at York yesterday.
“Going back to the T20s we had a really raw chat, and I took some really good pointers.
“Now that’s really important to push that forwards.”
Off-spinning all-rounder Bess, 27, started the season out of the Championship team and has only played two of nine matches, in which he has taken six wickets.
He was an ever-present in the Vitality Blast and claimed 12 wickets with a quartet of two-wicket hauls. In the early stages of the One-Day Cup, he has taken six wickets in three appearances added to a top score of 37 with the bat.
In yesterday’s win over Sussex at York, which saw Yorkshire win by 49 defending a 262 target, he hit that 37 and struck twice with the ball.
“It’s been an interesting one,” he said, reflecting on his fourth summer with Yorkshire. “I feel like I’ve been a pretty consistent performer.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. George Hill (r), Dan Moriarty (c) and Harry Duke (l) are amongst the Yorkshire players celebrating victory at York yesterday.
“You can only really take T20s and this, I guess.
“I’ve always tried to back myself in terms of consistency now that I’m getting a but older. I’ve been happy. It might not have been the five-fors or whatever, but I thought in T20s myself, Moz and Jafer (Chohan) as a partnership were really strong and we helped each other out.
“And I’ve started nicely here (in 50-over cricket).
“It’s been a bit of a different summer. It’s been important to push my way back in and show what I can bring. My batting is a really important aspect for me.
“I went out to Zimbabwe in the the winter (Southern Rocks), batted at three and averaged 50 I think.
“It was an incredible experience, and now it’s about taking my opportunity. Knowing I can bat higher up the order and consistently perform, it’s only going to help my strength as a player.”
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. The scene at Clifton Park, York, against Sussex yesterday.
It is just over six years since Bess played the first of his 14 Test Matches for England.
He continued: “I look back now and think at 20 I probably didn’t know my game. Now, I’m always trying to improve.
“My bowling, in the last two games at Notts and against Sussex, it’s shown my control – certainly in a one-day game where you have to have another fielder up. And I feel I’m getting real clarity with my batting.”
Asked where he feels he is with his bowling in relation to when he was playing Test Matches for England between 2018 and 2021, he said: “The best I’ve ever been was out in South Africa for England (eight wickets in two Tests in early 2020).
“That’s something I’m always trying to replicate.
“But I honestly don’t think I’m that far off now. I’ve worked quite hard, and it’s actually something I speak a lot to Ben Coad about. I feel it’s in a really strong place at the moment.”
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Dom Bess is happy with the development of his all-round game.
Yorkshire responded impressively against Sussex at York yesterday to Sunday’s disappointing defeat when, chasing 210 against Nottinghamshire at Welbeck, they were bowled out for just 126.
“It was a very good win,” he said. “There were a couple of things we spoke about from Notts about our batting and not losing wickets in clusters. Even though I wouldn’t say it was a complete performance, that element of not losing wickets in clusters was key.”
Tomorrow, Yorkshire face a Gloucestershire side who have won one, lost two in Group B. They beat Surrey at the Kia Oval last time out on Tuesday, when their Australian overseas opener Cameron Bancroft scored 100 in their imposing 301 all out. Seamer Matt Taylor claimed four wickets in Surrey’s 264 all out reply.
They are captained by Jack Taylor and coached by Mark Alleyne. They also have Pakistani left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar available as an overseas player and have hardly been affected by Hundred call-ups.
As a former Somerset player, Bess is relishing this clash: “From my own roots, it’s a bit of a rivalry for sure,” added the Devonian.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire’s third spinner Jafer Chohan is currently out of action as he recovers from the broken thumb he suffered in the recent Vitality Blast. The leg-spinner did play with the injury during the latter stages of the competition, but the county want it to heal fully before he returns to action more regularly.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Vikings’ Shan Masood led the way with the bat at York yesterday, top-scoring with 63.
