Dawid Malan compiled a fine 98 and led a commanding Yorkshire batting display on day one of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Worcestershire, the hosts seizing the early initiative at Headingley.
Malan’s 133-ball effort was supplemented by a number of valuable contributions from elsewhere as the White Rose closed the day on a healthy 425-9 from 96 overs.
Opener Adam Lyth made 67 off 118 balls at the the start of the day, James Wharton looked in fine fettle for 44, as did George Hill for 63. Jordan Thompson also contributed a late and entertaining 48 not out off 43 balls.
Hill’s intervention was key, sharing a century fifth-wicket partnership with Malan either side of tea, as Yorkshire had endured a brief wobble during the first half of the afternoon when they slipped from 123-1 to 179-4, including the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow.
Yorkshire’s captain was adjudged caught behind for seven off Adam Finch’s seam, though a short ball brushed his stomach rather than his glove, as umpire Mark Newell thought. Bairstow’s reaction of utter amazement indicated it was the wrong decision.
The hosts made an excellent start, reaching 49-0 from the opening 10 overs having been inserted by visiting captain Brett D’Oliveira.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Adam Lyth celebrates his half-century this morning.
Whether or not D’Oliveira and the Worcestershire camp were enticed by a definite green tinge to the surface would be interesting to know, but it felt like a batting day with the sun beating down.
Thankfully, so it proved, even if there was some help on offer for the bowlers. It will be fascinating to see if Yorkshire’s bowlers make better use of it tomorrow.
Lyth picked up two boundaries to third-man off the first two balls of the match, bowled by debutant New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who Fin Bean later pulled for six over deep backward square-leg into the East Stand.
Yorkshire made one change from last weekend’s opening round defeat at Hampshire, with Thompson coming in for side injury victim Ben Cliff.
There was plenty of pace and carry in this surface, with extra grass left on by head of grounds Richard Robinson.
Openers Lyth and Bean shared 55 inside 15 overs, a partnership broken by the new ball seam of Tom Taylor, who had the latter caught low down at third slip for 19.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. A 2,000-strong Headingley crowd enjoyed the return of cricket to Yorkshire’s HQ on a glorious early-summer’s day.
Wharton started his innings quickly, taking four boundaries off Taylor in the 19th over as the hosts closed in on 100 for one.
After an errant start, which got Yorkshire up and running, the visitors did improve with the ball but the damage had been done and the home platform built.
Lyth reached his fifty off 85 balls just before lunch – not rapid by any stretch but more fluent than his impressively steadfast second-innings century at Hampshire.
Wharton was eye-catching on the drive but fell caught behind six short of 50 off Duffy during the early stages of the afternoon, undone by extra bounce and away movement – 123 for two.
Matthew Waite added Worcestershire’s third wicket when Lyth miscued an expansive pull down deep square-leg’s throat with the score on 162 in the 43rd over.
And their comeback gathered pace when Finch’s short ball had Bairstow caught behind for seven, leaving Yorkshire at 179-4 five overs later.
Picture by Dave Williams/www.cricketphotos.co.uk. Dawid Malan in full flight this afternoon.
But Malan and Hill asserted themselves on a hard-working attack missing that real cutting edge. They shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 123.
Waite bowled nicely on his return to home turf, but international quick Duffy failed to settle and was taken to task before striking twice late in the day with the new ball. He finished with figures of 3-114 from 18 overs.
By the time Malan slog-swept Kashif Ali’s leg-spin for six over deep mid-wicket, towards the East Stand, in the final over of the afternoon, Yorkshire were eying 300.
He had 75 of 270-4 at tea. The left-hander’s fifty came off 66 balls before the break and Hill’s half-century came off 71 early into the evening.
Unfortunately, like Lyth earlier, Hill fell when a century was coming into view.
He edged behind off Ben Allison’s seam as the score slipped to 302-5 in the 71st over before Will Luxton (25) slog-swept the part-time off-spin of Jake Libby to deep mid-wicket.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jordan Thompson blasted some late runs to take Yorkshire beyond 400.
Malan’s near miss on the century front was most frustrating given how close he was, with Duffy getting him caught at second slip with the first over of the new ball – 345-7 in the 82nd. The left-hander had hit 12 fours and a six.
Duffy also trapped Dom Bess lbw before Thompson dominated a swashbuckling ninth-wicket stand of 65 unbroken with Ben Coad, who added 22. Thompson hit four fours and two pulled sixes off seam.
Waite finished the day with 1-53 from 15 overs.
