Jonny Tattersall’s career progression has been plain sailing for the last three years, but there was a time when it was more Rocky Road!
Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper-batsman has been cooking up a storm on the field this summer with two fifties in three Bob Willis Trophy games.
Off the field, the 25-year-old’s partner Emma has been doing similar. A qualified chef who works in the airline industry, she has been running an online baking sideline business through lockdown called The Bakers Basket.
“Jonny’s missus is the most unbelievable baker,” said coach Andrew Gale. “He just brings in cakes every day for the lads.
“This is why I’m getting fatter. He brought some rocky road in the other day.
“He brought two lots of baking to Nottingham the other week. The lads are playing poker at night in the hotel, and he brings this big traybake down of flapjack and cake.”
That is only a small reason why Tattersall has been contributing to the positive vibe in the Yorkshire dressing room. The main reason, though, is his excellent form in the early stages of the Bob Willis Trophy.
In the win over Notts at Trent Bridge, a low-scoring fixture, he contributed 31 and 53, the latter a particularly crucial knock to set the hosts what proved to be an unassailable target of 188.
During the most recent draw against Derbyshire at Emerald Headingley, he hit 66, sharing a fifth-wicket partnership of 200 with Dawid Malan.
In both of those games, he filled the number six position in the order and played as a specialist batsman, with Jonny Bairstow taking the gloves.
In the fourth round game against Lancashire at Headingley, starting tomorrow, he will regain the gloves because of Bairstow’s England commitments and will hope to help unbeaten Yorkshire secure a third win in four matches.
“I worked pretty hard in the winter on some technical things, just being able to access different areas of the ground,” said Tattersall. “I feel like I’m starting to do that.
“To be honest with you, last winter was more about just understanding that I do belong in this team and that I can play at this level.
“I’m trying to show that confidence, and that’s been reflected in me getting a few scores. Long may that continue.”
As coach Gale says, Tattersall’s career journey provides “a great story”.
A former England Under 19s batsman, he was released by the White Rose county in 2015 before earning a second chance on the back of some impressive second-team form in 2017.
Ahead of 2018, though, came a surprising twist when coaches Rich Pyrah and Richard Damms suggested to Gale that he could be made into an effective wicketkeeper.
