Yorkshire v Sussex - day three: Brilliant Dawid Malan narrowly fails to emulate Don Bradman as hosts push for victory at Headingley

LEADING MAN: Dawid Malan drives through the covers on his way to reaching 150 at Headingley against Sussex. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.comLEADING MAN: Dawid Malan drives through the covers on his way to reaching 150 at Headingley against Sussex. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com
LEADING MAN: Dawid Malan drives through the covers on his way to reaching 150 at Headingley against Sussex. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com
DAWID MALAN today missed out in agonising fashion on writing his name into the Yorkshire record books.

The England left-hander looked all set to become the first man in the county’s history to score double centuries in successive first-class innings.

But he was out for 199 for the second time in his career on day three of the County Championship match against Sussex at Headingley, which the visitors closed on 38-0 in their second innings, 207 behind.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Malan had scored a career-best 219 in his previous first-class innings for Yorkshire against Derbyshire at Headingley last August.

SO CLOSE: Yorkshire's Dawid Malan of reacts after being bowled by Sussex's Jack Carson for 199. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.comSO CLOSE: Yorkshire's Dawid Malan of reacts after being bowled by Sussex's Jack Carson for 199. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com
SO CLOSE: Yorkshire's Dawid Malan of reacts after being bowled by Sussex's Jack Carson for 199. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com

The 33-year-old left-hander, who played superbly again, would have joined an exclusive back-to-back double hundreds club that includes Don Bradman, Wally Hammond and Virat Kohli.

Malan - who also hit 199 for Middlesex against Derbyshire at Derby in 2019 - was bowled by the Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson, who spun one across his body to knock back the off stump in glorious sunshine in Leeds.

There was briefly stunned silence from the 1,500 crowd, who then broke out into warm applause for Malan as he left the field.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Malan’s departure left Yorkshire 459-6 in reply to Sussex’s first innings score of 313.

RUN MACHINE: Yorkshire's 
Dawid Malan celebrates getting to 150 on day three against Sussex at Headingley. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.comRUN MACHINE: Yorkshire's 
Dawid Malan celebrates getting to 150 on day three against Sussex at Headingley. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com
RUN MACHINE: Yorkshire's Dawid Malan celebrates getting to 150 on day three against Sussex at Headingley. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com

Having helped Malan to add 57 for the sixth-wicket, Harry Duke, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper, shared 76 with Jordan Thompson.

Duke, playing only his third first-class game, progressed to his second half-century before he fell just after tea, lbw to Jamie Atkins for 54 from 97 balls with six fours.

Thompson was eighth out at 542 when he drove Atkins to Stuart Meaker at mid-off, having struck 42 from 72 balls with six fours and a six.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carson had the Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson caught-and-bowled for eight, and the innings ended at 558 when Atkins captured his fifth wicket for a career-best 5-98, bowling Ben Coad for a single.

Gary Balance of Yorkshire get out to the bowling of Jack Carson caught by Ben Brown. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.comGary Balance of Yorkshire get out to the bowling of Jack Carson caught by Ben Brown. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com
Gary Balance of Yorkshire get out to the bowling of Jack Carson caught by Ben Brown. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com

Yorkshire’s total was their highest in first-class cricket for a little over five years.

Earlier, after Lancashire’s defeat to Glamorgan in Cardiff this morning, the Red Rose county’s first of the season, Yorkshire knew that they could close the gap on them to four points at the top of the table if they go on to achieve victory here.

Yorkshire began the day on 272-2, with Malan on 103 and Gary Ballance 74, their third-wicket stand worth 177.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thoughts that it might extend past Yorkshire’s record for the third wicket against Sussex (208 by Vic Wilson and Ted Lester at this ground in 1949) were dashed, however, when Ballance fell in the day’s fourth over, caught behind pushing forward to Carson.

Ballance, who scored 77 from 92 balls with eight fours, had survived a very adjacent-looking lbw appeal from Carson’s previous ball, his dismissal ending the partnership at 180 and leaving Yorkshire 275-2.

Enter Harry Brook, who started, as he so often does, with a flurry of handsome strokes.

Every bowler suffered at the hands of the young right-hander - including Carson, whom Brook off-drove for four and then whipped for four through mid-wicket.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Malan played watchfully and perhaps within himself during the first hour but blossomed against the second new ball, finding the boundary more often en route to his 150 from 227 balls with 18 fours and a six.

Both batsmen took two fours off a Henry Crocombe over that disappeared for 17 as Sussex’s lack of experience showed.

As well as Brook has played this season, he had only two first-class hundreds in 40 appearances going into the game, and he missed out on another good opportunity to register his third.

The 22-year-old was within one run of a sixth Championship half-century in 14 innings this season when he was caught behind down the leg-side trying to glance Atkins, Brook’s 49 coming from 54 balls with nine fours and leaving Yorkshire 374-5, ending a partnership of 99 with Malan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At lunch, Yorkshire were 392-4, with Malan on 162 and Dominic Bess on two.

Bess fell in the third over after the interval, caught behind for eight as he defended a delivery from Stuart Meaker.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click HERE to subscribe.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice