Yorkshire relish the challenge as Ashes duo unite

Leeds has been the most successful English Test ground for both players, who will today become team-mates when Surrey face leaders Yorkshire in the County Championship.

Pietersen, who is looking to prove his fitness ahead of the Ashes in his first match for three months after a knee injury, has scored 596 runs in four Tests at Headingley at an average of 85.14, including three centuries.

Ponting, who retired from international cricket last December, hit 493 runs in his four Tests at the venue at 82.16, including his maiden Test hundred in 1997.

Pietersen also smashed 167 in his solitary Championship appearance at Leeds in 2004, helping Nottinghamshire to a thumping three-day win.

The 32-year-old hit the headlines in more ways than one on his last visit to the ground in August last year.

After scoring 149 against South Africa, one of the greatest innings of modern times, Pietersen delivered an extraordinary press conference in which he said “it’s tough being me” in the England dressing room and threatened to quit Test cricket.

The walls in the Carnegie Pavilion are still shaking and Pietersen was dropped after subsequently admitting sending “provocative” text messages about then England captain Andrew Strauss to the South African players before the whole shemozzle was eventually smoothed over.

Pietersen’s return to Leeds – along with that of 38-year-old Ponting, who will retire from all forms of cricket in October – promises a daunting challenge for Yorkshire, but it is one first-team coach Jason Gillespie is adamant they can handle.

“Our players are very excited about this opportunity of competing against such quality players, and I’ve no doubt they can rise to the challenge,” said Gillespie, who welcomes back pace bowler Jack Brooks after a six-week lay-off with a broken thumb.

“All players want to test themselves against the very best players, and Ricky and Kev are two wonderful cricketers, two wonderful batsmen.

“It will be a great challenge for us and a wonderful learning curve for some of our guys.

“And let’s not forget Surrey have plenty of other batsmen, too – Steven Davies, Vikram Solanki, Rory Burns, those sorts of lads – and although they haven’t made the start they wanted as a team, we know how good they are, how dangerous they can be.”

Surrey are in disarray having failed to win any of their eight Championship games – a run that cost team director Chris Adams and first-team coach Ian Salisbury their jobs on Monday.

Former England batsman Alec Stewart takes charge of the side for the first time, having been placed in temporary charge along with bowling coach Stuart Barnes, and the visitors will be desperate to kickstart their season.

Inevitably, attention will focus on Pietersen, for whom this is the first of two first-class games before the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on July 10, with England playing a four-day fixture against Essex at Chelmsford, starting on Sunday week.

Pietersen, who has scored 7,499 Test runs at 49.01, has not played since striking 73 in the second Test against New Zealand at Wellington in March, but Yorkshire will not allow his return to obscure the danger presented by Ponting, who has made 295 runs in three Championship games at 98.33 since joining Surrey on a short-term deal.

“Rick’s still a very good player,” said his former Australia team-mate Gillespie, who took his best Test figures of 7-37 in the same match at Headingley in which Ponting struck his maiden Test hundred.

“He’s still a very dangerous customer and we’re going to have to bowl very well indeed to dislodge him.

“Rick’s a good mate of mine and it will be great to catch up with him; you become great friends with your team-mates over the years and I had 10 great years alongside Rick playing for Australia.

“He’s a smashing fella and I’m sure we’ll be having a night out at some point, but I can’t deny I’ll be wanting to see the back of him as soon as possible when he’s out in the middle.”

Pietersen and Ponting could arguably face no greater challenge in Championship cricket themselves than a Yorkshire attack that has been in top gear.

The return of Brooks will strengthen a seam bowling unit in which Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Patterson and Liam Plunkett have been excellent.

Another victory for Yorkshire – who are again without batsman Phil Jaques due to a niggling stomach injury – would significantly boost their hopes of winning the title and send them into the break for the Twenty20 Cup in high spirits.

Gillespie believes they are top of the table on merit but has warned they can take nothing for granted.

“It’s exciting, there’s no doubt about it, but we’re under no illusions,” he said. “There’s still an awful lot of work to be done.

“We can’t get ahead of ourselves in any way, shape or form.

“We know how tough it’s going to be in the second half of the season, and we need to maintain the standards we’ve set.”

P stands for positive in Leeds

Test records of Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting at Headingley:


Kevin Pietersen

Aug 2006 135 & 16 v Pakistan

May 2007 226 v West Indies

July 2008 45 & 13 v S Africa

Aug 2012 149 & 12v S Africa

Total: 596 runs at 85.14


Ricky Ponting

July 1997 127 v England

Aug 2001 144 & 72v England

Aug 2009 78 v England

July 2010 6 & 66v Pakistan

Total: 493 runs at 82.16