Dom Bess wasn’t too downhearted after being left stranded in the nineties as he missed out on a second career first-class hundred during a rain shortened second day against Essex at Emerald Headingley.
Only 36.3 overs were bowled before 2.15pm, and Yorkshire are in the driving seat at the halfway stage of this Specsavers County Championship match.
They advanced from 289-6 to 390 all out before lunch, including 91 not out off 132 balls for on-loan Bess, who hit 15 fours.
Essex then slipped to 18-1 from 6.5 overs of their reply immediately after lunch, losing Sir Alastair Cook caught at first slip by Tom Kohler-Cadmore off Ben Coad for just two. It was Kohler-Cadmore’s 25th catch in all cricket for Yorkshire this season.
“If you’d have said that we’ll get 390 on the board, we’d have taken that,” said Bess, on loan from Somerset.
“Personally, I would have loved to have got my second first-class hundred, my first in the Championship. But that’s how the games goes. I never felt in. It was still doing a bit, and I nicked a couple. You have to ride your luck sometimes.
“The main aim for us was to get to 400. I think that’s quite a daunting task if you’re batting second.
“There’s certainly a lot there for our bowlers.
“To get Cook is a massive wicket for us.
“I think we’re in a great position. We have still got two full days to hopefully get these 20 wickets. As I say, I think we’re in a very good position.”
The day started with Bess and Jonny Tattersall (45) completing a seventh-wicket partnership of 90, with the former moving beyond 1,000 first-class career runs in the process.
Unfortunately, Yorkshire, who claimed three batting bonus points, lost their last four wickets for 48 to slip from 342-6, including two to new ball quick Jamie Porter.
Tattersall was caught behind off Ravi Bopara before Steve Patterson was lbw to Porter, who also had Coad caught at first slip by Sir Alastair.
Sam Cook then wrapped up the innings by getting Duanne Olivier caught at second slip, leaving Bess short of a first hundred in Championship cricket.
His only century to date came for the MCC against Essex in the champion county fixture in Barbados in March 2018.
