James Wharton reflected on an encouraging start to Yorkshire’s Rothesay County Championship clash with Durham, though he admitted there was a tinge of frustration too.
Wharton was one of three fifty-makers in Yorkshire’s 295-8 from 81 overs on day one at the Banks Homes Riverside.
He top-scored with 69 to George Hill’s 64 and 57 not out for Dom Bess.
They countered bowler-friendly conditions having lost the toss, with Wharton revealing that Yorkshire would have bowled first.
The emerging right-hander said: “I think we’re in a good position.”
But he also admitted: “I felt good, just incredibly frustrated to be out as soft as I was.”
Wharton played beautifully until he pulled four-wicket Australian seamer Brendan Doggett out to deep mid-wicket, leaving Yorkshire at 165-5 during the afternoon.
“We were in a position of strength, and then I gave it away, which is poor,” he continued. “But I felt good, so I’m positive from that.
“There’s obviously a lot of learnings for all of us because I think it could have been an even better day. But overall, yeah, I think we’re fairly happy.”
Yorkshire fell to 190-6 just before tea, only for Hill and Bess to share 105 for the seventh wicket, ensuring Yorkshire had the better of the day – even if their advantage is far from overwhelming.
“It was quite gloomy, it was a bit cold as well,” said Wharton of conditions.
“It’s a slow deck, and there’s obviously a bit of grass. In the right areas, it does a bit. But there’s not a great deal of pace, so it’s not too bad. The conditions and pitch looking how it was, I think at the end of the day we’d have taken that.
“Obviously losing two wickets at the end there was a little bit gutting for us after all the hard work. Hilly and Bessy were absolutely magnificent because it could have gone pear-shaped had those two not batted as well as they did.”
At some point tomorrow, Yorkshire will unleash New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears, who actually ended the day at the crease with the bat.
Sears is a pacy seamer who Wharton is excited to see steam in during the next few weeks. He certainly has an idea just how challenging he could be for county batters having faced him in the nets at Headingley this week.
He added: “Yeah, I was the test dummy, funnily enough!
“I drew the short straw there. He wasn’t going full tilt, he was just working on a few things and limbering up and loosening off. But he’s still sharp even at 50 percent or whatever he was bowling at.
“He looks he looks like a real coop to be fair, and he’s a good lad. So I’m excited to see how he fares.”
