We continue our Tatts’ Magic Moments series, Jonny Tattersall reflecting on the key moments in Yorkshire’s promotion-winning campaign in the County Championship.
Here, Tatts looks back on Yorkshire’s high-scoring home draw with Middlesex at Headingley, one which the county had the better of thanks to notable contributions from Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess and George Hill.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Tattersall keeping wicket during Yorkshire’s home draw with Middlesex in September.
When George Hill reflects on 2024, he will no doubt recognise just how big a part Jonny Bairstow played in his progressive year.
Off the field, England legend Bairstow was the one who presented the young all-rounder with his county cap – on day one of the final round County Championship fixture against Northamptonshire at Headingley. The presentation took place in the Hawke Suite as the rain fell to delay the start of the fixture.
But a few weeks earlier, at the start of September when the weather was kinder, the pair united in impressive fashion against Middlesex to bolster the county’s promotion bid.
On days one and two of Yorkshire’s 11th round fixture against the team who held second place in the Division Two table, Bairstow and Hill both made centuries and shared 238 for the sixth wicket to underpin a mammoth first-innings total of 601-6 declared.
Wicketkeeper-batter Bairstow made a fine 160 off 198 balls, while Hill topped him with 169 not out off 257.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow applauds as George Hill celebrates his century on day two against Middlesex.
Those impressive knocks may not have contributed to a victory, with Middlesex responding strongly with 522 all out on a featherbed surface against the Kookaburra ball. But Yorkshire edged the points haul 13 to 11, cut the gap to one point with three rounds remaining and took all the momentum.
The visitors will have undoubtedly been concerned leaving LS6 as they contemplated the promotion run-in.
Yes, Yorkshire were unable to extend their winning run to four matches. But they still maintained their mojo thanks to contributions from Bairstow and Hill added to an excellent 7-179 from Dom Bess, who bowled a marathon 70.4 overs of off-spin.
“That first innings put the game out of sight in terms of us not being able to lose, which was key after winning against Sussex and tightening the table up.
“It would have been nice had we won that game, but going into the last three games only a point behind Middlesex gave us real momentum given the way we’d been playing.”
Bairstow’s century was his first in first-class cricket for a little over two years and proved he still has plenty to offer having been left out of all three England squads in the weeks leading up to that fixture. For Hill, he had previously struggled with the bat, though the all-rounder had been excellent with the ball.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Bairstow reverse sweeps during his brilliant century against Middlesex.
Three weeks earlier, for example, he had claimed a brilliant, career best 6-28 in a Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory over Warwickshire at the picturesque Rugby School.
“George looked like he was back to the George Hill we know with the bat,” reflected Tattersall.
“Going forwards a couple of games as well to Glamorgan at Cardiff when he got 90, he was exceptional in that game. He returned some good contributions in the last few games, and that’s what you need. Everybody started to stand up at the right time, which is what we had lacked.
“I think George has had an excellent year with the ball.
“You think back to when he got six-for against Lancashire at Old Trafford a few years ago when not a lot was happening.
“He goes under the radar a lot of times stats wise because a lot of the time, he does the tough and ugly overs up the hill, holding the game and being nice and accurate.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. George Hill attacks against spin during his superb unbeaten 169 against Middlesex.
“You would probably describe him as similar to Steve Patterson was in the way he goes about the job we ask him to do a lot of the time. But he does it in a bit of a different way.
“You look at his economy rate and it’s been excellent all year.
“He just seems to go on these sprees of taking wickets.
“He obviously got his six-for against Leicestershire at Grace Road as well. He bowled 11.3 overs in a spell either side of tea late in that game and was brilliant.
He has those long spells in him, and he’s definitely someone who’s going to excel with bat and ball moving forwards.
“He didn’t have as good a season as he’d have liked with the bat, but he’s getting better and better each year with the ball.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Back to what he does best. Jonny Bairstow takes the acclaim of supporters and team-mates alike following bis 160 in the Middlesex draw.
In the Middlesex game, Bairstow and Hill came together at 242-6 after 65 overs after Tattersall had elected to bat. The stand-in skipper was the sixth wicket to fall, in the first over after tea, and the day was very much in the balance.
Thankfully, Bairstow stood up to back up the half-century he scored in the first innings of the previous round win over Sussex at Scarborough and led his side to a position of strength into day two.
“That’s exactly what you want, for your international players to come in and contribute,” said Tattersall. “He did in that Middlesex game, massively, and I’m sure Hilly will have taken a lot from batting with him.
“Jonny was brilliant for us in the final five games he played.”
Even after Yorkshire posted that 600 plus total, declaring midway through day two, it was no great surprise that they were unable to force victory given the placid pitch and the ball in use.
Opener Sam Robson hit 108 for the visitors, while all-rounder Ryan Higgins followed him with 155.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess claimed a fine seven-wicket haul during a marathon 70.4 overs.
“A moment to look back on,” continued Tattersall. “Second ball, Bessy actually bowled Ryan Higgins but the bail didn’t fall off. Then he went on to make a hundred, which was very frustrating.
“I wonder what would have happened if we’d have taken that wicket. They would have have been 207-4 just before the second new ball and still a long way from the follow-on.
“We could have won that game and avoided going into the last game needing something. But it all pans out the way it pans out, doesn’t it.”
Bess’s fellow spinner Dan Moriarty deserves a mention for bowling 61 overs for 174 runs, even though he went wicketless, while it was quite the achievement for Ben Coad to claim three wickets. No other seamer in the match took more than one wicket.
However, Bess quite rightly earned praise from Tattersall.
“It was a long toil for him, but Bessy kept on plugging away and putting in for the team,” he added.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Coad claimed the other three Middlesex wickets in the first innings.
“Bessy’s opportunities have been limited this year with Moz (Moriarty) coming in and their different skillsets. But Bessy has contributed so much, even with the bat in the last few games.
“It just highlights the importance of what we’ve always had at Yorkshire, a strong lower order that can go out and score runs and contribute healthy partnerships.
“He didn’t play as many games as he’d have wanted to, but when he did he contributed. He’s a great asset for us.”
