Essex v Yorkshire: Jonny Tattersall enjoys being the leading man

Now he is Yorkshire’s captain and, all things considered, doing very well in the role as the club pursues silverware in the Royal London Cup.

Tattersall, whose side have three wins from four in the eight-match group stage, heading into today’s fixture against Essex in Chelmsford, took over from Steve Patterson when the club captain stepped down at the end of last month, having not been offered a contract extension beyond the end of this season.

Tattersall, who only returned to the County Championship side two months ago, after more than a year out in the cold, has impressed with the bat and with his leadership skills, which are quiet, busy and unassumingly effective.

“I’ve always thought deeply about the game,” said the 27-year-old.

“Even when I’m not captaining a side, I always think like one (a captain) and work out what we can do to influence the game. Actually, being the one able to make the decisions is just a bit of an extension of that.”

Tattersall’s captaincy is a hit with the team.

George Hill, the 21-year-old batsman, spoke on their behalf when he said: “He’s just so calm. The thing I’ve found is he’s extremely level. You couldn’t really tell by his body language whether we’re doing well or not, which to me as a captain is a huge thing.

“He’s very open to ideas, which is a good thing too. He will listen to all the lads, no matter whether you’ve played 100 games or it’s your first game. He will listen to your idea.

“He’s obviously a really well-respected and liked character in the team, and it’s nice to see him back and doing well and hopefully he will keep doing well as captain.”

Ali Maiden, the Yorkshire assistant coach, who is leading the side in the Royal London Cup while head coach Ottis Gibson is away at The Hundred, has also been impressed by Tattersall’s leadership.

‘Tatts’ has been excellent,” said Maiden.

“It’s hard to fault the decisions he makes; they’ve generally worked. Things are happening for him, which is a great feeling as a captain.

“His control and manner on the pitch with the lads is great. Everyone respects him. His fielding is exceptional, and he’s batting really well.

“He’s leading by example, which helps massively.”

Yorkshire (from): Bean, Bess, Coad, Duke, Fraine, Hill, Luxton, Loten, Revis, Shutt, Sullivan, Tattersall (captain), Waite.