Yorkshire CCC v Derbyshire - Jordan Thompson proving all-round package

Had Matthew Waite not gone down injured before the opening Bob Willis Trophy match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, Thompson would not have played in that fixture and, quite conceivably, in the second game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge that ended on Tuesday, too.

Now, as Yorkshire prepare for a crunch third match at Headingley today against north group rivals Derbyshire, the only other club to have won two out of two in the five-match group stage, Thompson can fairly be described as Yorkshire’s leading performer in the tournament so far.

The 23-year-old is their top wicket-taker with nine at an average of 12.44 and also their second-highest run-scorer with 132 at an average of 44; no one, in fact, has taken more wickets in the North Group than him.

A powerful right-arm pace bowler and left-hand batsman, as well as a dynamic fielder, Thompson is the definition of a three-dimensional player, someone skilled in every department.

To invert Martin Johnson’s classic description of Mike Gatting’s 1986-87 Ashes tourists, Thompson is someone who can bat, can bowl and can field. Such players are worth their weight in gold.

But what does the man himself consider as his strongest suit?

Is Thompson more of a batsman (he typically bats at No 7) or more of a bowler who usually comes on after the opening bowlers have done their stuff?

“I always say both,” he says. “I always say that I’m a genuine all-rounder.

“In first team cricket, people would probably say, over the last couple of years, with the roles that I’ve played, that I’m more of a bowler, but I know my ability with the bat.

“I know what I can do given the chance to go out there and bat for long periods of time, so I see myself as a genuine all-rounder who can do both jobs.”

Evidence of Thompson’s multi-faceted talent came at Trent Bridge, where he scored a career-best 98 in the first innings, 33 in the second innings and returned match figures of 4-43.

It was only his fourth first-class game – he debuted in a rain-ruined fixture against Surrey at Guildford last summer – and he is now targeting an extended run in the team.

“I took my chance at Durham when Waitey was injured and hopefully I backed it up against Notts,” says Thompson, who has also made 19 white-ball 
appearances for Yorkshire’s first XI.

“Hopefully now, moving forward, I can keep performing, because in past seasons it’s been frustrating for me in red-ball cricket because I’ve been inconsistent – scoring runs one game then not scoring runs for another two or three games before I get another big score, and perhaps bowling ok but not taking wickets and things like that.

“I’m striving for consistency and hopefully I’m starting to hit a bit of a consistent patch now which will be good for me.

“My aim is to play all five games (in the Bob Willis Trophy group stage) as long as I stay fit and keep performing.”

Having worked his way up through the Yorkshire age groups, the Leeds-born Thompson is riding the crest of a wave.

He has a natural confidence which is showing in his play; his captain, Steve Patterson, has described him as “a fighter” who “finds a way to have an impact” in any situation.

Thompson’s 98 in Nottingham was evidence of that; without it, Yorkshire’s first innings deficit would have been greater than the 91-run lead they eventually conceded before they fought back collectively to win the game by 90 runs.

Thompson perished in trying to reach his hundred in the grand manner after thumping invaluable runs with the tail.

“I had a few people message me saying, ‘What were you doing getting to 98 and not taking a hundred?’ but I can only blame myself,” he says.

“I got our team into a decent position, which was the main point, and I haven’t really thought much about it (missing out on a hundred).

“Looking back now, could I have got a hundred and taken the two runs? Yeah, I could, but I don’t regret any moment of it.”

Je ne regrette rien, as the old saying goes.

Thompson does not seem like a man to dwell on two little runs and, in any case, there will surely be more hundreds there for the taking.

His next target is to try to help Yorkshire to a victory over Derbyshire that would go a long way towards cementing first position in the north group, with the two group winners with the most points from the north, central and south divisions meeting in a five-day final at Lord’s from September 23.

“We go to Headingley for the first time this season in the Bob Willis Trophy and we back ourselves to win there all the time,” he says.

“We’re on a high from winning two games out of two, and the confidence levels are very high.

“It’s going to be a very good game between two unbeaten teams.

“We haven’t played them for a while in red-ball cricket, so it will be interesting to see what they’re like.”

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