Matthew Revis scored his maiden first-team century as Yorkshire pressed for back-to-back LV= Insurance County Championship victories with another dominant performance against Gloucestershire on day two at Headingley.
From an hour into this Division Two fixture, Yorkshire have held sway – refusing their visitors any way back in and declaring on 550-9 in the early stages of the afternoon.
Loanee left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty then claimed 3-79 from 20 overs as Gloucestershire replied with 232-5 from 57 overs. Miles Hammond hit an entertaining unbeaten 84 off 95 balls.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dan Moriarty.
Fin Bean and George Hill scored day one centuries before Revis followed them to the same milestone just after lunch today, finishing with 104 not out off 163 balls.
The 21-year-old all-rounder moved from 25 overnight, sharing half-century stands for the eighth and ninth wickets with fast bowlers Dom Leech and Mark Steketee, who contributed a career best 32 and 26 respectively.
As Yorkshire piled on the runs, advancing from 393-6 overnight, there was a nervous passage of play after lunch amidst what had otherwise been serene and seamless progress against a largely impotent Gloucestershire bowling attack, left-arm seamer Matt Taylor (4-70 from 27 overs) aside.
Australian overseas debutant Steketee advanced down the pitch at Pakistani left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar and was stumped, leaving the score at 534-9 and Revis on 96.
For the next 15 minutes, Revis was taking singles and relying on debutant Moriarty to survive at the other end. He did so, and Revis brought up his first century in first-team colours with a lovely cover driven boundary off Gohar with his 162nd ball.
The declaration came four balls later, at the end of the 130th over.
Earlier, Matthew Fisher fell caught behind off Taylor in the day’s first over before Leech, who slog-swept Gohar for six, was superbly caught one-handed by a diving Hammond at slip off Ollie Price’s off-spin, leaving the score at 467-8 in the 111th over.
By this time, Yorkshire had secured the maximum of five batting points.
While Revis slog-swept his only six off Graeme van Buuren’s left-arm spin, he hit the majority of his 10 fours through the covers.
This innings included five half-century or more partnerships.
Yorkshire later had more success with the ball, but it was by no means one way traffic as Gloucestershire threw some counter punches after early issues.
Opener Chris Dent scored a brisk 34, including seven fours square on both sides of the wicket, in a 45-run partnership with fellow left-handed opener Ben Charlesworth.
Dent fell caught at second slip by Adam Lyth on the drive against Leech in the 15th over.
After Moriarty had started with two maidens, Charlesworth lofted the left-arm spinner for a straight six into the middle tier of the Howard Stand.
Despite this, Moriarty started well. He kept things tight with three maidens in his first four overs, culminating in the wicket of Grant Roelofsen trapped lbw pushing forwards in the 22nd over, leaving the score at 80-2 at tea.
And after tea, he built on his encouraging start.
He had driving Charlesworth caught at slip by Lyth for 35, with the umpires having to discuss whether or not it had been a bump ball. It wasn’t, and the score was 93-3 in the 26th over.
That soon became 125-4 in the 32nd when captain van Buuren was caught behind pulling at the same bowler. Jonny Tattersall held on at the second attempt.
Hammond then attacked Moriarty and hoisted him for five sixes down the ground towards the Howard Stand End or over cover as he moved to a fifty off 60 balls and then beyond.
He shared 96 in just over an hour with wicketkeeper James Bracey, who made a bright 44 before edging a drive at Lyth’s off-spin to Hill at slip – 221-5 in the 50th.
This was Lyth’s first bowl of the summer, and it’s probably no coincidence that it has come with the Kookaburra ball – a ball in use as part of an ECB trial for this and the next round of four-day fixture. It is one that is notorious for not doing as much for the seamers once the initial shine has gone.
Steketee bowled 12 overs for 49.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Mark Steketee.
