Jonny Tattersall says a fast start for Yorkshire tomorrow morning is key to their hopes of claiming a final day victory over title-chasing Hampshire at Scarborough.
Tattersall’s 63 played a significant part in helping the hosts set Hampshire a testing 214 target late on day three, which they have reduced by nine.
A feature of this match has been new ball wickets. It happened on day one, for example, when Yorkshire fell to 33-6, and this evening Hampshire struck six times after tea with the second new cherry to limit Yorkshire to 272 all out in their second innings.
“It always does a bit with the new ball at Scarborough, and it seems like it’s been like that for much of the Championship season from what the lads have been saying,” said Tattersall.
“If you get past 25-30 overs as a batter, it can become nice to bat.
“If we can get three or four wickets in that first session, we can leave them still needing a fair few runs with them knowing they can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Tattersall has made an impressive return to LV= Insurance County Championship action having only just replaced Harry Duke behind the stumps.
Over the last three games, the 27-year-old wicketkeeper batter has posted scores of 180, 43 and 63. His 180 came in defeat against Surrey at Scarborough earlier this month.
“I’m fairly happy with my performance, but we’d have liked a few more runs on the board,” he said, reflecting on his and Yorkshire’s determined day three performance with the bat.
“Overall, we’ve done well. We battled hard today and have given ourselves a chance to push for a victory tomorrow.
“It was a good last-wicket partnership between Patto and Coady to get us up to 200 on the board.
“It was tough going out there with the bat. It was doing a bit all day. Even when Abbas was bowling with the older ball, he was still getting it to seam around.
“It’s been one of those games, the wicket has offered for the bowlers throughout.
“It’s been classic four-day cricket, hard graft throughout and you’re in with a shout at the end of the week.
“I feel in good touch with the bat, and I’m gloving them well as well. Hopefully that continues tomorrow.
“We just need to be a bit more consistent with the ball than we were at times in the first innings.
“As well as we did (to bowl them out for 218), we know we can be even better than we were. If we do that, we have a real chance.”
