Yorkshire CCC all-rounder Matty Revis targeting greater consistency after strong T20 showing

The Yorkshire all-rounder was one of the positives to emerge from the opening night defeat against Birmingham Bears.

Revis was the pick of the bowlers with 2-25 from four overs as the Bears scored 200-6 at Edgbaston, the hosts dismissing Yorkshire for 166 to win by 34 runs.

Now the 21-year-old wants to take that form forward and deliver the goods on a regular basis.

Asked whether his efforts could kickstart his season personally, with Yorkshire back in T20 action on Friday evening against Worcestershire at New Road, Revis said: “Yeah, hopefully. I haven’t really been able to break through with my bowling this season, in red-ball cricket anyway, and I think it comes down to consistency.

“A big thing for me is obviously having the skills to get batters out in the first place, but doing that on a consistent basis is the most important thing.

“If you bowl three good balls in an over but three bad balls as well, then you’re not really getting anywhere.

“But if I can find that consistency, both in red-ball and white-ball, I’ll be happy.”

Revis conceded just two runs from his first over after captain Shan Masood threw him the ball with Birmingham 29-1 after three overs.

His fifth delivery accounted for the dangerous opening batsman Paul Stirling, who chopped on, and Revis followed up by conceding six runs from the final powerplay over, four of them courtesy of a boundary by Dan Mousley.

With Birmingham on the charge after reaching 147-4 from 15 overs, Revis’s third over went for just four singles and included the wicket of Chris Benjamin, who was caught at deep square-leg to break a stand of 97 with Sam Hain.

At that stage, Revis’s figures were 3-0-12-2, but his final over went for 13 and included a four off the first ball by Hain and a six off the final delivery by Henry Brookes, which spoiled things a touch.

Still, it was a strong performance and one that showed character after a chastening experience at Edgbaston last year.

In the semi-final against Lancashire on Finals Day, Revis conceded 36 runs from 10 deliveries as Lancashire chased 205 to win by six wickets.

In front of a capacity crowd and the television cameras, there was no hiding place.

But Revis “parked it”, as the saying goes, with a fightback that augured well for the future.

“It was nice to go there and put it right, almost,” he said.

“Obviously when it doesn’t go right for you on the big stage, you analyse where you go wrong and where you can get better.

“I felt like I did that on this occasion.

"I had a lot more control of my emotions as well and used that into my plans, basically.”

It was a performance that was appreciated by Ottis Gibson, the Yorkshire head coach, who believes Revis is improving with ball in hand.

He is a fine batsman too – a genuine all-rounder – and Gibson has enjoyed working with him closely.

“Last year, at the end of the season, he wanted to go away to Australia to play cricket and I said, ‘Look, stay home for another year. Let me get the opportunity to do some work on your bowling,’” said Gibson.

“I think his bowling has come on leaps and bounds.

“He’s not really had the opportunity in red-ball cricket to show that improvement, but against Birmingham he bowled really well and I’m really happy for him.”

Reflecting on that time spent at home, Revis returns to the subject of consistency.

“I improved in a cricket sense and also in the gym,” he said of his winter.

“I worked really hard to get stronger, and in a cricket sense just to be more consistent.

“If you hit a good, consistent line and length for five, six balls in the powerplay, for example, then it’s on them (the opposition) to try and change something.

“That’s kind of what we spoke about (as a team) – if it’s going well for you, don’t change, and let them try and put the pressure back on you rather than changing and potentially going for boundaries.”

Now attention turns to Worcester on Friday night as Yorkshire look to get their first victory of the campaign.

Several first-teamers were involved in a pair of second XI T20s at Durham on Monday, both of which Yorkshire won.

Revis played in the second match, scoring 44 not out from No 5 and taking 2-21 from four overs.

“I’ve only played there (New Road) once, when we won there last year,” he said. “It would be good to get over the line once again.

“There’s 13 more (group) games to put it right, and I’m sure we will.

"We got to Finals Day last year, and we want to go one better and get to the final and then obviously you’re in with a chance of winning it.”