Ballance and Lyth can return to top, says Root

JOE ROOT is confident that Yorkshire team-mates Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth will bounce back from being jettisoned by England and prove success stories in the Test arena.
Yorkshire and Englands Joe Root demonstrates his bowling yesterday at Abbeydale Sports Club (Picture: Scott Merrylees).Yorkshire and Englands Joe Root demonstrates his bowling yesterday at Abbeydale Sports Club (Picture: Scott Merrylees).
Yorkshire and Englands Joe Root demonstrates his bowling yesterday at Abbeydale Sports Club (Picture: Scott Merrylees).

The White Rose pair – who both suffered very public demotions after being put under the microscope during last summer’s Ashes series – have already sent a reminder to selectors in the opening salvos of the new County Championship season as they strive to reclaim their places ahead of England’s Test opener against Sri Lanka at Headingley on May 19.

Ballance – who did not feature in England’s four Tests in South Africa in the winter and has admitted that he struggled mentally after being dropped last summer – impressed en route to making 68 in the first innings of Yorkshire’s current four-dayer at Warwickshire.

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Meanwhile, Lyth struck an accomplished century in the champions’ Division One curtain-raiser with Hampshire last week to put pressure on incumbent Test opener Alex Hales, who underwhelmed in South Africa along with Nick Compton.

The shock retirement of James Taylor following the discovery of a rare heart condition has also opened up a top-order place, with England captain Alastair Cook having made no bones about the fact that positions are up for grabs in the seven-Test summer against Sri Lanka and then Pakistan for those who sufficiently catch the eye in early season.

Cook’s vice-captain Root – who makes his first County Championship appearance for Yorkshire in over 19 and a half months in Sunday’s televised four-dayer at Nottinghamshire – said: “There’s going to be opportunities.

“Cook came out in a press conference and said there’s some places up for grabs and, including this game, there will be three games before the first Test of the summer and that’s six knocks to get some big scores and to stake a claim.

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“I know they (Ballance and Lyth) will be desperate to do that and to really hammer home their point to selectors. And I have no doubt, having played with them for years, that they are both capable of doing that and being successful at international cricket. It is just about them proving the point themselves.”

On the unfortunate developments regarding Nottinghamshire and England’s Taylor, who Root plans to catch up with at the County Championship match next week, he added: “It is a huge shame and horrible for him personally. You are (also) losing a big part of the dressing room for our team. But of course it gives an opportunity for someone else to prove they are capable of filling a slot in the side.

“It is never a nice way to get back into the team, but whoever gets given that opportunity will want to prove their point and stay in the team going forward for the rest of the summer.”

It was at Trent Bridge in September 2014 that acting-captain Root made his last first-class appearance for Yorkshire, famously going onto lift the County Championship in the controversial absence of suspended captain Andrew Gale after the Tykes beat the hosts by an innings and 152 runs to clinch their first title for 13 years.

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England commitments ensured that Root made just one appearance for the county in 2015 – hitting 55 in the T20 Blast group game with Lancashire last June – and he admits he is relishing donning the White Rose once again.

The world ranked No 2 Test batsman, also made available by England for Yorkshire’s home game with Surrey at Headingley next month, said: “Of course, I would love to play as much as I can for Yorkshire. But unfortunately, the opportunities haven’t quite been there of late. But there are two games coming up and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in.

“It is really nice to go back and play, although looking at the side at the minute, it is trying to see where I will fit in the team.

“There’s a lot of guys scoring runs and playing really good cricket and you almost think is it worth upsetting that for a few games.

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“But it is great to be back involved and I have known a lot of the guys since being a young lad and grown up learning the game with them.

“It will be nice to be able to be in the same dressing room and playing competitive cricket with them again.

“It is really exciting to be back with the Yorkshire lads, playing at Trent Bridge against a few of the England boys, which also could be a bit tasty, and then onto the Test series against Sri Lanka.”

After assuming captaincy duties on his last county appearance at Trent Bridge, Root admits he was thrilled to see the Yorkshire captain finally lift the County Championship trophy in the seasonal finale last season after being denied that honour following his suspension for the final two first-class games of 2014 following a much-published altercation with Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince.

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Root dearly hopes that Gale collects silverware again with Yorkshire this autumn.

He added: “Obviously it was very tough. Andrew is the captain and should have been in that position and obviously was not allowed.

“It was really pleasing to see him do it the following year and hopefully he will get a similar opportunity this year.”