Big Ben Cliff happy to be chiming in with wickets for Yorkshire CCC
SOMETIMES, role models can be right under our noses as opposed to operating in spaces outside our surroundings.
A young cricketer these days has only to switch on the television to find inspiration everywhere - from the international arena to the Indian Premier League, and so on.
But for Ben Cliff, the 21-year-old making his way in the county game, he need look no further than his own Yorkshire dressing room for an example to emulate.
His name is Ben Coad, his new-ball partner in the One-Day Cup, and one of the best to wear the famous White Rose.
“‘Gibbo’ (head coach Ottis Gibson) says that you can look far and wide to find role models,” said Cliff.
“But, as a fast bowler, he says that you’ve got one in your team already with ‘Coady’.
“For me, as a young player, to see how ‘Coady’ goes about his work is fantastic, and I just try and take as much of it on board as I can.
“He is always helpful and gives me his opinions and stuff, and, if in doubt, I just try and do what ‘Coady’ does - just try and get it on that spot, time after time.”
Cliff shares not only the same dressing room as Coad - and the same initials ‘BC’ - but also some of the same attributes in wicket-taking threat.
Both pupil and mentor took three in the vital victory over Essex in Scarborough on Tuesday, which maintained Yorkshire’s hopes of qualification for the knockout stages of the 50-over tournament.
Coad took 3-41 from 10 overs, and Cliff 3-54 from his 10 - a personal best on his fifth one-day outing. Asked what makes his partner so special, Cliff put it succinctly - “he nips it both ways and doesn’t miss, and then he whacks it with the bat”, with Coad having capped a fine match with an unbeaten 26 that helped Yorkshire to a three-wicket win in the company of Dom Bess, with whom he shared an unbroken stand of 60.
“That was a fantastic partnership between ‘Bessy’ and ‘Coady’,” said Cliff, the eighth-wicket pair having come together with the game seemingly slipping from Yorkshire’s grasp at 184-7 in the 40th over. “They did a brilliant job in a tough situation.
“I really enjoyed being part of it all, and I’m just glad that I can contribute to this great team - it’s been class.
“I’m happy with the way that I’m bowling, and I just try to back myself.”
Cliff’s three-fer, which helped to reduce Essex to 27-3 early in the piece (he took two of those wickets and Coad the other), followed on from a two-wicket haul in the previous match against Gloucestershire at York.
These are still early days for the Halifax-born pace man, who worked his way up through the Yorkshire system and made his first-team debut in this competition two years ago.
Cliff has made 12 first-team appearances across the three formats, including two County Championship outings at the back end of last year, along with his first T20 fixtures this summer.
He claimed 4-31 in the final T20 group match against Nottinghamshire at Headingley, which led nicely into this competition in which he has featured in three of the five games.
“I want to play as much as I can for Yorkshire,” he said. “I don’t mind what format it is, I just love playing for Yorkshire.
“It’s a great bunch of lads, and there’s a great spirit here. We’re all great mates - we love each other - and we get on and all want the best for each other and the best for Yorkshire, and that’s winning games and winning competitions.”
Cliff was not even born when Yorkshire last won a one-day trophy, a statistic that applies - albeit obviously, perhaps - to more and more players with each barren year.
He came into the world some seven-and-a-half weeks after Richard Blakey lifted the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at Lord’s on the final day of August in 2002, an achievement so long ago that it is almost framed in sepia.
For Cliff and his colleagues to get their hands on the modern version, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, they first need to qualify for the knockouts by winning at least two of their last three group games.
Leicestershire are next up at Scarborough on Thursday, with Yorkshire also needing to buck a trend of “win one, lose one” after a results sequence so far of – WLWLW.
“Backing up the last game is important,” said Cliff. “It’s a shame that we couldn’t go two on the bounce at York last week, obviously with the home crowd behind us and home advantage, but hopefully we can do that this time against Leicester.
“I back us because although Leicester have a good side, some good overseas, we obviously know how to play at Scarborough and hopefully they don’t.
“We’ll have to be at our best, and it will be a good challenge, but we want to win a white-ball trophy for Yorkshire.”