Dom Bess targets all-rounder role with Yorkshire CCC

Bess played in all six Tests against the West Indies and Pakistan, contributing useful wickets as England gained 2-1 and 1-0 series victories respectively.

But to cement his place in the Test match side, and to fulfil his aim of playing white-ball cricket for his country, Bess believes that he must work on his batting and views his move to Yorkshire as the perfect chance to develop that side of his game in addition to his off-spin.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to develop my batting and hopefully put in big scores at No 7/No 8 and add to a great batting line-up,” said Bess, who has signed on a four-year deal from Somerset which will take effect from the end of the season.

“If I want to be playing for England, then I’ve got to be batting and producing, and this is a great chance for me to really knuckle down and kick on with my batting and actually go to the next level with that and hopefully be seen as a genuine all-rounder.

“My average can hopefully only go up, which is really exciting. I want to help balance the Yorkshire side with the bat and contribute some decent scores.”

Bess, 23, is certainly no slouch with the willow. He has a first-class average in the mid-20s and a first-class hundred to his name to go with six fifties.

Bess scored 57 on his Test debut against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2018, following up with 49 in the next Test at Headingley.

He has produced a number of unbeaten cameos this year too, ending the Test summer with 111 runs at 55.00 (he was undefeated in five of his seven innings).

“It’s about the team, and whatever fits the Yorkshire side batting-wise I’m happy to do,” said Bess, who showed his skills with an unbeaten 91 against Essex at Headingley during a loan spell at Yorkshire last season.

“If it’s me batting at No 7 and they’re saying, ‘Right, you have to be averaging 30 with three or four hundreds,’ then hopefully I can do that and show the consistency.

“You’ve also got people like Tommo and Waitey (Jordan Thompson and Matthew Waite), genuine all-rounders, and if you find the right balance where you could have us three, say, at No 7/No 8/No 9, then you’re looking at a very short tail and a long batting line-up.

“At Somerset we don’t have a tail, and I know sides struggle because I guess they see Somerset six-down and then it’s the likes of Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, me… it’s a long line-up.”

Bowling is Bess’s chief forte, of course, and he was pleased with his efforts at Test level this summer.

Although he only took eight wickets in his six appearances, he had several catches dropped off him and provided control and helped create pressure.

“I know I didn’t take as many wickets as some people would have liked, but that’s cricket,” said Bess.

“As long as we win, and as long as I’ve contributed to the side, that’s all that matters.

“I think I learnt a lot in terms of what I could have done better, and if a couple of chances (catches) had been taken, it could have looked very different.

“Of course you’d like wickets, but if I’m holding up an end, or I’m creating chances, which is all I can do to be honest, then hopefully that helps the bowlers at the other end, and it’s been a very rewarding experience on a personal basis.”

Bess believes that the Test side is in an exciting spot with the perfect blend of youth and experience.

“I think there’s a great blend now, and the youngsters are really standing up,” he added. “You look at Zak Crawley. He got 267 (in the last Test) and didn’t look out of place at all.

“I think the unity of that side, and the culture of that side, is great. It’s really exciting with the likes of myself, Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Dom Sibley and so on with the experience around us.”

No play was possible at Headingley last night as rain washed out the T20 Blast match against Leicestershire.

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James Mitchinson