Over the coming weeks, we are running a series of articles on yorkshireccc.com with Jonny Tattersall, who has been reflecting on the key moments in Yorkshire’s promotion-winning campaign in the Vitality County Championship.
Entitled Tatts’ Magic moments, he continues with the home draw against Glamorgan when two Yorkshire’s batting stars shone and their spinners plugged away for reward.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Tattersall ended the summer as Yorkshire’s stand-in captain and has been reflecting on their promotion-winning campaign.
Jonny Tattersall hopes the 265-run partnership between centurions Joe Root and Fin Bean in the early May draw against Glamorgan at Headingley will prove a key moment in the latter’s burgeoning career as much as it was in Yorkshire’s promotion-winning campaign.
This was Yorkshire’s fifth game of the Vitality County Championship summer. They had drawn three and lost one, and it was their second successive game at Headingley after a high-scoring stalemate against Derbyshire.
In that Derbyshire fixture, Root and Harry Brook both scored centuries – 119 and 126 respectively – and imperious Root was at it again against Glamorgan, for whom his younger brother Billy was in opposition.
A rain-affected affair – only 41 overs were possible on day one, Glamorgan 109-4 – saw Yorkshire make the early running as they bowled their visitors out for 221 before replying with 519-7 declared.
From 94-2, Root and Bean united to share that aforementioned 265. Bean’s 173 came off 189 balls, while Root’s 156 came off 156.
It’s widely accepted that Root is one of the very best players of spin in world cricket at present, but Bean showed his prowess against the turning ball. He hit 24 fours and five sixes and took former England leg-spinner Mason Crane apart en-route to a career best score.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Fin Bean celebrates reaching his 150 against Glamorgan at Headingley in early May.
And Tattersall is confident the 22-year-old left-hander will have taken a huge amount from batting with a great of the game for the best part of 45 overs on days two and three.
“We didn’t quite get over the line against Derbyshire,” said the wicketkeeper-batter. “We were on a pitch which was fairly decent for batting, and both Rooty and Brooky got their hundreds.
“But I thought the game against Glamorgan when Beany and Rooty got a big partnership and, on a spinning wicket, took the spinners they had on offer down was very important.
“I thought that was quite a telling contribution in the season from Beany in particular and, that big partnership that they put on, was one of the key moments without a doubt.
“From the discussions we’ve had, I think Beany took a lot from that innings batting alongside Rooty for such a long time.
“And that’s what it brings when these lads come back and play. It’s not just the runs, it’s being out there in the middle with these lads and the experience and confidence it gives you.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Fin Bean applauds as Joe Root celebrates his century against Glamorgan.
“I think back to when I played in the 50-over competition and I batted with Gary Ballance, and he said to me straightaway, ‘Look, you’re a great player of spin, just go out and do what you do’.
“It’s just, from those guys, getting those words that give you the belief to go and play.
“That’s exactly what happened with Beany in that instance, and he went and got stuck into Crane.
“It was just disappointing that we couldn’t get over the line in that game.”
Tattersall himself made 55 in that first innings, and Yorkshire ploughed on to declare and give themselves almost a day and two thirds with the ball to try and wrap up victory.
Unfortunately, they were thwarted by second-innings centuries for Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast and Colin Ingram, who would end up as the leading run-scorer in Division Two.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jonny Tattersall watches on as Colin Ingram sweeps at Headingley.
Both men dug in to underpin a total of 372-7 from 138 overs, with Northeast making 142 and South African Ingram 113.
That game was also fascinating from the point of view that Yorkshire fielded two frontline spinners in a Championship game at Headingley for the first time in 11 years.
Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty impressed with four wickets apiece in the first innings and plugged away for one apiece in the second, with Root and Adam Lyth striking twice each as the visitors resisted.
And Tattersall feels it may be something Yorkshire, now under the guidance of Anthony McGrath as coach, could look to in the future as they embark on a new era with a return to Division One in 2025.
“It’s important to have the options, especially when we have spinners who spin the ball different ways. That helps massively,” he said.
“We’ve been quite strong in the seam department over my time at the club, but the great thing now is that we’re very well set up with spinners.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dan Moriarty and Dom Bess leave the field after taking four wickets apiece in the first innings against Glamorgan.
“Jafer (Chohan) is obviously going in the right direction as well. He had another good season in the Blast, and he’s fully deserved his call-up to international cricket.
“He’s up there as one of the best spinners in the country, and it will be fascinating to see how he gets on over the next few weeks in the West Indies.
“That tactic didn’t work out for us results wise – it happened later in the season against Middlesex at Headingley – but I thought we were a bit unlucky not to win that game against Glamorgan.
“Who knows what the make-up of our side will be next season, but that might be something we decide to do a bit more of.”
In terms of results, Glamorgan at Headingley was part of a frustrating start to the season for Yorkshire, though we all know that things worked out in the end.
Tattersall added: “There were three games I had in my mind that we should have won – the game against Gloucestershire at Bristol, which we’ve previously spoken about, and then Glamorgan at home and Sussex away after that.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jafer Chohan is currently in the West Indies on his maiden senior England tour, and he could be a very useful weapon for Yorkshire in Championship cricket in the coming seasons.
