Dom Bess completed a superb nightwatchman’s 107 during the morning session of a third day against Worcestershire which ended with Yorkshire claiming a record-breaking 504-run win at Headingley – the highest ever victory by a runs margin in the history of the Rothesay County Championship.
Bess helped Yorkshire set their visitors 610 to win approximately half an hour into the afternoon, with them declaring their second innings on 315-4.
This 115-ball effort was Bess’s maiden career century in the Championship and only the second of his first-class career. The first – also 107 – came whilst playing for the MCC in the early 2018 champion county clash with Essex in Barbados.
Worcestershire were given a minimum of 163 overs to survive for a draw, and they were bowled out for 105 inside 38, losing their last eight wickets for 33. George Hill claimed a superb 4-23 from 7.1 overs.
Bess’s brilliant day was elevated during the second half of the afternoon when he took a stunning diving catch at cover to help Jordan Thompson strike in his first over as the score slipped to 42-2.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com – 13/04/2025 – Cricket – Rothesay County Championship – Yorkshire County Cricket Club v Worcestershire County Cricket Club – Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, England – Yorkshire’s Dom Bess celebrates his half century against Worcestershire.
Jack White impressed again with the ball, claiming two wickets, as did Thompson. Adam Lyth and Ben Coad also struck once each.
As impressive as Bess was, run-scoring wasn’t the toughest of tasks, with Worcestershire’s bowlers flagging and, for large parts, all of their outfielders on the boundary edge.
Yorkshire started the day on 61-1 in their second innings, leading by 294.
Bess came to the crease at the fall of the first wicket late on day two, and he shared in stands of 77 for the second wicket with James Wharton and 100 for the third with Dawid Malan, who made 76 not out off 64 balls with two sixes.
During the morning, Lyth was caught and bowled one-handed by Ben Allison for 35 and Wharton caught at deep midwicket off Matthew Waite for 26.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dawid Malan looked in good order for 75 today, his second fifty of the match following his 98 in the first innings.
Bess reached his maiden Championship ton off 115 balls shortly before lunch, but he fell two balls later when bowled by Jake Libby’s part-time off-spin as the score fell to 243-3, a Yorkshire lead of 537.
The expectation was that the hosts would declare at lunch, but they opted to rub further salt into the wound for a short period afterwards as Jonny Bairstow joined in the fun with a quick-fire 44 off 26 balls, including a trio of sixes.
But this was Bess’s day.
The 27-year-old is playing his 102nd first-class match this weekend, and he had only previously scored one first-class century.
Yorkshire then got to work with the ball, bidding to seal their first victory of the season at the second attempt.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jack White (c) is congratulated on dismissing Worcestershire’s Adam Hose just after tea.
Hill, Thompson and Lyth all struck through until tea, where Worcestershire reached in one mighty hole at 72-3 inside 25 overs.
Hill trapped Libby lbw in the 12th over before Thompson, in his first, forced the other opener, Gareth Roderick, to drive to Bess at cover in the 15th.
Going to his right, it was a simply stunning catch. Certainly one for the end of season highlights reel.
Given Bess’s fine day, it was somewhat of a surprise that he didn’t take the third wicket to fall when introduced into the attack shortly before the tea break.
Instead, that went to Yorkshire’s other off-spin option, their part-timer Lyth, who bowled Ethan Brookes through the gate three balls before the tea break – 72-3 in the 25th.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow and George Hill watch on as Ethan Brookes is bowled bu Adam Lyth just before tea.
Then, the evening got better very quickly as three more wickets fell in the session’s opening seven overs, the Pears slipping to 90-6 after 32.
Adam Hose tried to leave new ball seamer White alone and lost his off-stump. Kashif Ali, on 22, also tried to leave alone against the same bowler and was trapped lbw.
Sandwiched in between, Ben Coad had Waite caught behind down leg.
Then things happened very quickly as Hill struck again to remove injured Brett D’Oliveira and Allison, and Thompson got Tom Taylor. D’Oliveira and Taylor were caught at first slip and Allison bowled.
Hill then wrapped things up by getting Jacob Duffy caught behind.
