Decent day for Yorkshire CCC in gloomy County Durham
IT was a day for thick coats, flat caps, hot flasks and hardy souls. A grey and gloomy sort of day that would have been perfect for watching Darlington FC down the road, or Spennymoor Town, but not so much cricket at Chester-le-Street in April.
The floodlights at the Riverside venue were on full beam from just before lunch, cutting through the murky, glowering skies, and the giant funfair across the main road had a somewhat forlorn, incongruous feel, as though it had been booked at least three months too early.
The breeze was biting in the more exposed stands, although the usual flags on top of Lumley Castle - which give a useful indication of wind speed and direction - were conspicuous by their absence, as if the castle’s famous ghost had nicked them in the night, hiding them away within its weathered stone walls.
It was a day for winning the toss and bowling out the opposition, a task that Durham were not quite good enough to achieve as Yorkshire reached 295-8 before bad light claimed the last 15 overs.
Alex Lees, the Durham captain and former Yorkshire batsman, had seen the coin land in his favour and a well-grassed pitch for his bowlers to exploit, but although Brendan Doggett, the 30-year-old Australian, returned 4-69 and Ben Raine 3-59, Yorkshire could be pleased with a decent day’s yakka.
James Wharton (69), George Hill (64) and Dom Bess (57 not out) led the charge, Hill and Bess sharing 105 for the seventh-wicket inside 23 overs. The gloss was taken off slightly when Raine struck with the first two deliveries with the second new ball, having Hill caught low down at second slip and Jordan Thompson at mid-off, the contest hard-fought between these teams as is always the case.
Yorkshire went into it showing two changes to the side that beat Worcestershire on Sunday, Ben Sears, the New Zealand fast bowler, in for his debut and Matty Revis returning as Will Luxton and the rested Ben Coad made way.
They started well, reaching 43-0 at the end of the so-called “Big First Hour”, with Durham not making best use of the help that was on offer.
The “Big Second Hour”, though, brought a change of luck for them. In the space of four balls from Doggett, Adam Lyth pulled to square-leg and Fin Bean was lbw playing back, a decision that looked a touch leg-side and high to these eyes.
Yorkshire held out until lunch to reach 75-2, Wharton and Dawid Malan having played themselves in to conclude a session that the visitors just shaded.
Malan was soon on his way, though, caught at first slip by Will Rhodes, the former Yorkshire all-rounder, after Doggett slanted one across him as he pushed forward.
Enter Jonny Bairstow who, after a watchful start, showed all his old style by taking Matthew Potts, his former England team-mate, for five fours in the space of six balls, a quartet of handsome drives interspersed with a trademark pull stroke.
At the other end, Wharton, who had whipped a lovely leg-side four off Potts in the first session to the short boundary on the Lumley Castle side, advanced to an 85-ball fifty with his 10th four, a flowing cover-drive off the same bowler.
Almost immediately, Bairstow was lbw playing back to Raine, and then Wharton dropped on 52 at second slip by Colin Ackermann off Raine, a regulation chance and a case of straight into the breadbasket and out again as Yorkshire escaped slipping to 138-5.
As it was, Wharton fell with the score on 165, pulling Doggett to deep mid-wicket, and Yorkshire slid to 190-6 when Revis, playing back to Rhodes and away from his body, was caught by Ackermann, the solitary slip.
At tea, when a quick perambulation brought only admiration for the 1,180 spectators out braving the cold, Yorkshire were 209-6 and the day was in the balance.
But Hill and Bess, who have started the season well with bat and ball, played handsomely and with no little style, showing the value of genuine all-rounders and depth in the team.
Hill went to his fifty from 71 balls with his eighth four, a pull off Rhodes, and Bess followed his maiden hundred for Yorkshire last week by reaching his fifty from 62 balls with eight fours and a pulled six off Doggett.
Bess had a moment of fortune when Rhodes put him down at slip on 45 off Doggett, thus denying the bowler a fifth wicket, not the easiest of chances, moving to his right.
Raine’s double strike with the new cherry lifted the hosts and the home fans too, who at least hastened for the warmth with spirits renewed, if in no doubt of Yorkshire’s character and resolve.