Picture by John Heald. Dom Bess celebrates a first-innings wicket against Glamorgan last week.
All-rounder Dom Bess – fresh from signing a two-year contract extension at Headingley to take his stay through until at least the end of 2028 – has been speaking about his love for his adopted county and sees no reason why he can’t see out his career as a Yorkshire player.
Bess, aged 28, joined Yorkshire ahead of 2021 having previously been on loan with the county from home club Somerset, where he progressed through their age-groups and the Academy at Taunton.
Before moving north, the Devonian made his England Test debut, something he continued to do until shortly after becoming a Yorkshire player. In all, he accumulated 36 wickets and 319 runs in 14 Tests between summer 2018 and the start of 2021.
“I’m delighted,” he said, of his new deal to remain in the Broad Acres. “Another two years after this one.
“My love for Yorkshire, my love for the club, I’d like to think that comes across now after my six or seven years.
“I’ve always said, playing for Somerset, that was my dream and aim. When you’re young, you always think of being a one-club man. But, obviously, things happen and time moves on.
“With the position I was in, to get an opportunity to play at a club like Yorkshire and have a real impact, this is probably the second proudest moment of my career in terms of just behind England.
“I’ve been through a lot with the club, and probably more on the negative side in terms of having to deal with what we dealt with, getting relegated, and individually as well, having to fight back through a difficult 2024.
Picture by John Heald. Dom Bess in action against Glamorgan at Cardiff.
“But, I think now where I am in my career, I’m still young, I’m still only 28.
“With the whole England situation, you’d like to think the selectors are looking. But I come back to the club. I absolutely love the club.
“We’ve got really exciting talent who not only will push in, hopefully, Division One cricket and white-ball cricket. But, also, I think there are four or five lads who could push higher honours as well. And I want to be a part of that. So, I’m absolutely ecstatic.”
Bess has been speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire at Headingley – 11am. It is Yorkshire’s second match of the season and follows their draw against Glamorgan at Cardiff last weekend.
He was excellent in that match, claiming seven wickets with his off-spin.
Bess has worked under three different coaching staffs during his time at Headingley, headed by Andrew Gale, Ottis Gibson and now Anthony McGrath.
He had praise for all of them for different reasons but admits the current regime has “re-ignited my career”.
The Devonian admits to nearly leaving the club in 2024 having not got the opportunities he wanted that summer. There were a couple of short-term loan spells away, including one back to Somerset.
Picture by William West/Getty Images. Australian Test quick Jhye Richardson is set for his Yorkshire debut.
The influence of chair Colin Graves was key in him staying put – so too former vice chair Phillip Hodson – and he has since taken on the role of One-Day Cup captain and interim skipper in the Rothesay County Championship when Jonny Bairstow isn’t available.
For example, he led the side at Glamorgan when Bairstow was struck down with a fractured right thumb late on day one, and he will be in charge again tomorrow.
“This is the best (coaching staff I’ve worked under),” he said.
“The consistency – obviously the love for the club – but the other element of life and making sure that we’re having fun is massively important, not taking ourselves too seriously.
“And if you look at their resume, Mags and Mickey (Lewis) with Essex, they’ve won things. That’s really exciting.”
Bess continued: “Mags is just a very good person. He’s an incredibly consistent man. He’s someone I feel I can chat to about cricket, about life and have fun with. But that goes for everyone underneath him.
“John Sadler is someone I’ve grown really close to. Again, I think he’s a fantastic man.
“You’ve got Tom Smith. What he’s done at second-team level has been outstanding. Matt Wood is one of the best men I’ve ever met. And Mickey Lewis. In terms of bowling, for me, he’s been outstanding as well.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Dom Bess, fresh from signing a new contract, has heaped praise on Anthony McGrath.
“He’s worked with one of the best off-spinners ever in Simon Harmer, so I’ve got many good opportunities to grow there.”
Bess says the togetherness of this current Yorkshire group is so strong, with many of the players having “been through a hell of a lot together”.
“We’ve been through what no-one else has ever been through in the history of cricket with 15-20 staff members moved on like that,” he expanded.
What it has all resulted in is an unwavering belief that the squad is ready to deliver silverware to Headingley.
Bess added: “We’re here to win.
“We’ve not won for a while.
“The reason why I first came here was because I wanted to win a lot of silverware, and I think we’re at that point now.
“I think now, with the signings that we’ve made and the lads we’ve got, we’re in for a really exciting period.”
Picture by Steve Bardens/Getty Images. New Hampshire coach Russell Domingo.
Yorkshire will hand an overseas debut to Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who played one Test in the winter Ashes series,
They face a Hampshire side who were heavily beaten in their opening round clash with Essex at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton – by an innings and 137 runs inside three days.
Captained by wicketkeeper-batter Ben Brown, they have signed Australian former Yorkshire batter Jake Lehmann on a domestic-qualified deal. Their overseas players are South African seamers Kyle Abbott and Codi Yusuf.
They also have a new coach in South African Russell Domingo.
Meanwhile, on the surface we can expect at Headingley, head coach Anthony McGrath said: “We probably won’t be as bold as last year early season, because I think we saw a happy medium in that Durham wicket.
“We still want the pitches to carry and go through and be a good contest between bat and ball. I think Richard Robinson’s done a good job given all the weather.
“I expect it to be a little bit green, but maybe not as bushy as last year.”
YORKSHIRE v HAMPSHIRE, FIRST-CLASS CRICKET 1895-2025 – STAT PACK
Results (home & away): County Championship: Played 180; Yorkshire won 75, Hampshire won 23, drawn 82 (Abandoned 1).
Non-Championship: Match drawn at Scarborough in 1961. At Headingley: Played 30; Yorkshire won 7, Hampshire won 9, drawn 14. NB. Hampshire are the only county to have a superior record against Yorkshire at Headingley.
Most recent results: 2025 at Southampton, Hampshire won by five wickets. Most recent Yorkshire win – 2019 at Southampton, won by an innings and 44 runs. Most recent draw – 2021 at Southampton. Most recent game at Headingley – draw in 2019.
Most consecutive wins: Yorkshire 7 (1900-05 and 1950-54), Hampshire 3 (2022-25).
Two wins in a season: Yorkshire 14 times, Hampshire twice.
Highest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 593-9dec at Headingley in 2016. For Hampshire, 599-3dec at Southampton in 2011.
Lowest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 23 at Middlesbrough in 1965. For Hampshire, 36 at Southampton in 1898 and at Headingley in 1904.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 302* by P Holmes at Portsmouth in 1920. For Hampshire, 300* by MA Carberry at Southampton in 2011 – one of only two triple-centuries ever scored against Yorkshire.
Highest partnerships: For Yorkshire, 347 for the first wicket between P Holmes (302*) and H Sutcliffe (131) at Portsmouth in 1920. For Hampshire, 523 for the third wicket between MA Carberry (300*) and ND McKenzie (237) at Southampton in 2011. This is the highest stand ever made against Yorkshire.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 9-29 by AC Williams at Dewsbury in 1919. For Hampshire, 8-49 by OW Herman at Bournemouth in 1930.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 14-43 (8-21 and 6-22) by S Haigh at Southampton in 1920. For Hampshire, 12-145 (7-78 and 5-67) by D Shackleton at Bradford in 1962.
Hat-tricks: No instances by either county in this series.
Most dismissals in a match by a wicket-keeper: For Yorkshire, RJ Blakey 8 (all caught) at Southampton in 1989. For Hampshire, AJA Wheater 7 (all caught) at Headingley in 2016.
Most catches in an innings by a fielder: 5 by FWD Quinton (Hampshire) at Harrogate in 1896. No instance of 5 or more for Yorkshire.
Most catches in a match by a fielder: 7 by T Kohler-Cadmore (Yorkshire) at Southampton in 2019. No instance of six or more for Hampshire.
A hundred runs and 10 wickets in a match: EP Robinson (Yorkshire) 108 and 7-25 and 4-60 at Bradford 1930. No instance for Hampshire.
A century and five wickets in an innings in a match: For Yorkshire, GH Hirst 152 and 5-95 and 2-43 at Portsmouth in 1904. W Rhodes 135 and 6-66 at Dewsbury in 1919. AU Rashid 110* and 2-78 and 6-51 at Southampton in 2016. No instances for Hampshire.
A century and five dismissals in an innings by a wicket-keeper: For Yorkshire, GL Brophy 13 and 100* and 5 ct and 1 ct at Southampton in 2007. No instance for Hampshire.
At Headingley…
Highest innings totals: Yorkshire 593-9dec in 2016, Hampshire 456-2dec in 1920.
Lowest innings totals: Yorkshire 124 in 1987, Hampshire 36 in 1904.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 183* by NWD Yardley in 1951. For Hampshire, 232* by G Brown in 1920.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 6-21 by S Haigh in 1904. For Hampshire, 7-41 by KJ Abbott in 2017.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 10-39 (6-27 and 4-12) by W Rhodes in 1904. For Hampshire, 10-135 (6-69 and 4-66) by AS Kennedy in 1920.
Compiled by Paul Dyson, Peter Horne and Martyn Webster – members of the Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians.
