Yorkshire CCC: Matthew Fisher shines on overdue return to action after injury

That man was Matthew Fisher, and on his first appearance since the opening game of the season against Gloucestershire in Bristol, Fisher took 4-45 from 12 overs against the same opponents as the visitors scored 190 after winning the toss, Yorkshire responding before close with 80-3.

To detail all the injuries that Fisher has suffered during a first-class career that began seven-and-a-half years ago but had included just 23 appearances prior to this game would be to run through practically every ailment known to man.

The latest was a back stress fracture which deprived Yorkshire of the 24-year-old’s services for more than five months, a blow with which the county has struggled to cope – not least in the absence of Fisher’s new-ball partner Ben Coad, who missed about four months of the campaign himself with hamstring/groin problems and who took 2-26 here from 14 overs.

Fisher and Coad gave Yorkshire a much stronger cutting edge against a side who provided about as much resistance against them at times as butter against a pair of kitchen knives, one who arrived here already relegated and guaranteed to finish bottom of Division One.

Throw in a wicket each for Dom Bess and Steve Patterson, the latter playing his final game for Yorkshire after their controversial decision to let him go at the end of the season, and a couple for George Hill, and the hosts gained the bonus points they needed to guarantee that a draw here would remove their relegation worries, although the match is clearly moving on apace.

After Fisher’s welcome return to first-team colours, Yorkshire accumulated slowly beneath gloomy skies with the floodlights on. The state of the game/relegation situation demands that they do nothing more than bat solidly, and at their own tempo, in an attempt not simply to draw the match but to bookend their season with wins against Gloucestershire.

Fisher’s day – and that of captain Jonny Tattersall – began with the award of a county cap, with both players receiving the accolade from former skipper Patterson in front of the pavilion. It is not every day that Yorkshire cap someone who has already played Test cricket and also someone who is their current captain – an indication that the White Rose emblem remains hard won.

On a mostly sunny, cool and breezy morning, Fisher and Tattersall had a hand in the first wicket when the left-handed Ben Charlesworth was caught behind. It was a fine delivery from Fisher that climbed a little and perhaps shaped away, Tattersall taking a sharp catch in the end. It was the first of four wickets for Fisher in successive overs from the Kirkstall Lane end after he started out with two overs for eight runs from The Howard Stand end.

Next to go was Chris Dent, who chopped on a ball that slanted across him which he tried to defend, followed by Miles Hammond, who was undone by a delivery that reared up and took the edge through to Tattersall. Gloucestershire fell to 47-4 when Fisher had Ollie Price caught at fourth slip by James Wharton, one of three changes to the team that lost to champions Surrey last week as Harry Duke returned along with Fisher, with Fin Bean (finger injury), Will Fraine and Ben Mike making way.

On a good-looking pitch for the time of year, Gloucestershire rallied through James Bracey and captain Graeme van Buuren, who shared 53 for the fifth-wicket in 86 balls. They were separated in the fifth over after lunch when Coad trapped van Buuren rooted to the crease.

Coad struck again three balls later, uprooting Jack Taylor’s off stump with one that did him through the gate, and Gloucestershire slipped to 128-7 when Patterson had Zafar Gohar caught at first slip by another man who is making his last appearance for Yorkshire, the Somerset-bound Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

A quick kill seemed probable but Bracey and Tom Price shared 44 for the eighth-wicket in 84 balls, after which Hill struck twice in five balls to wrap up the innings. Bracey was caught behind driving off an inside edge for the top score of 71 from 112 balls with eight fours, then David Payne was bowled for a duck.

The innings ended on the stroke of tea, during which the Northern Diamonds women’s team displayed to the crowd the Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy that they had won at Lord’s the previous day, earning a fine reception.

When Yorkshire replied, that crowd, once more small by Headingley’s standards, saw Wharton fall for a 28-ball duck when he was lbw to Ajeet Singh Dale. Hill went after a wide one from Payne and was caught behind, and Adam Lyth was squared-up by Price and taken at third slip, the last action before 11.4 overs were lost to bad light.