Jordan Thompson and Ben Coad were at the heart of an excellent day two for Yorkshire against Worcestershire as both men impressed with bat and ball to help put their side in a winning position after two days of the Rothesay County Championship clash at Headingley.
The day started with terrific Thompson advancing from 48 overnight to 70 as the White Rose moved their first innings from 425-8 to 456 all out, securing a fifth batting bonus point in the process.
Coad was out for 31 early on, but not before he had driven two boundaries through the covers in the day’s opening over. He and Thompson completed a ninth-wicket stand of 75.
Thompson hit a couple of sixes in one Tom Taylor over, including an audacious reverse scoop.
The pair then shared five wickets with their seamers in Worcestershire’s dramatic afternoon collapse from 90-0 to 136-8; Coad striking three times and Thompson twice. When the visitors were bowled out for 162 after tea, Coad finished with 4-39 from 15.3 overs and Thompson 3-27 from 14.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jordan Thompson set Yorkshire on their way to an excellent day with some lusty morning striking.
Yorkshire led by 294 but opted against enforcing the follow-on. They reached close on 61-1 from 19 overs, leading by 355.
The Pears had made a strong start to their first-innings reply either side of lunch thanks to openers Jake Libby and Gareth Roderick, who shared 90 inside 31 overs.
Libby led the way with 53 and Roderick 37, but it was very much the calm before the storm in the Headingley sunshine as eight wickets fell in the afternoon, with White also continuing to impress at the start of his Yorkshire career.
Worcestershire were hurt – literally – by a dislocated thumb for their captain Brett D’Oliveira, who suffered the injury whilst trying to take an outfield catch at the start of the day.
He batted at eight, two places lower than usual, and was bowled by White just before tea, where the score had reached at 136 for eight.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow appeals for a run out against Worcestershire’s Jake Libby.
There have been stages when this Headingley pitch has looked pretty flat, not least when Libby and Roderick were together either side of the lunch break.
But head of grounds Richard Robinson has left extra grass on, and there is enough help on offer if you get it right as a bowler.
Coad showed that, Thompson did, so too White and Hill, the latter who shared three wickets between them in the afternoon. White claimed two and Hill struck just before tea.
Yorkshire’s breakthrough came when White had Roderick caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, who also helped Coad remove Libby at 101-3 in the 37th over. Thompson forced Kashif Ali to play on to his leg-stump in between.
In the afternoon, Yorkshire held five slip catches added to a catch behind for Jonny Bairstow. Hill held a juggling catch one-handed at first slip to help Coad remove his former team-mate Matthew Waite for one.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jack White impressed on his home debut.
Waite scored 32 and 87 in last week’s determined draw against Somerset at Taunton, the all-rounder not out in both innings as he led a remarkable survival. But there was none of that here amidst a remarkable 25 overs.
Thompson struck again approximately 40 minutes into the evening when he had Ethan Brooks caught at mid-on for 19, leaving Worcestershire at 153-9.
Coad wrapped up the innings when he had Jacob Duffy caught behind in the 67th over, leaving his top order with just over an hour’s batting to do through to close.
The only wicket to fall in that time was Fin Bean for 14 as he played on to Allison, leaving the score at 45-1 – the lead at 339.
Dom Bess ended the day unbeaten on 10 as nightwatchman, while Lyth finished with 32.
Picture by Dave Williams/www.cricketphotos.co.uk. Adam Lyth takes a catch at second slip this afternoon as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and George Hill watch on.
Thompson ensured an entertaining start to the day, moving from 48 not out to help Yorkshire secure their fifth batting bonus point for passing 450. The visitors also secured their third bowling point.
Yorkshire lost Coad caught behind off Allison, who finished with three wickets, leaving the score at 435-9.
But Thompson took two sixes in an over off another Worcestershire seamer Tom Taylor – one pulled, the other reverse scooped over the wicketkeeper’s head. The second took his side beyond 450. He also reached his fifty off 48 balls.
Yorkshire’s innings, however, was wrapped up when sub-fielder Rob Jones took a superb juggling catch on the deep square-leg boundary to help Allison remove Thompson, whose influence on the day was far from done.
