Yorkshire v Sussex: Root following in footsteps of hero Vaughan

Talented all-rounders are inevitably the next Ian Botham or the next Andrew Flintoff.

Gifted leg-spinners are invariably the next Shane Warne, and so on.

People love to detect similarities between up-and-coming generations and those which have had their time in the sun.

Ever since he forced his way into the Yorkshire fold, Joe Root, 20, has been compared with former Yorkshire and England batsman Michael Vaughan.

The similarities are striking if the records are naturally poles apart.

Vaughan – the most successful captain in England’s history and plunderer of 16,295 first-class runs between 1993 and 2009 – was characteristically classy and composed at the crease.

Root, who is playing only his 15th first-class game and who yesterday scored his maiden first-class century, has a similarly stylish air about him.

Like Vaughan, Root is lithe and naturally lissom.

Like Vaughan, too, he drives with graceful assurance and pulls with a sort of murderous finesse.

Vaughan was Root’s hero growing up and he has modelled himself on the former England captain.

Completing the likeness, Root is an occasional off-spin bowler and a product of Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club, where Vaughan sowed the seeds of a glittering career.

Whether Root goes on to emulate Vaughan remains to be seen, but the signs are encouraging on this summer’s evidence.

Having scored four half-centuries in 11 Championship matches prior to this fixture, Root broke the all-important three-figure barrier on a sunlit evening at the 125th Festival.

His unbeaten 111 eclipsed his previous best of 95 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and underpinned a total of 251-4 as Yorkshire replied strongly to Sussex’s 398.

Indeed, having begun the second day staring down the barrel of a Sussex score of 335-5, Yorkshire could be well-pleased with a turnaround in which Root rose to the occasion with impressive maturity.

“It was a very special feeling to get my first hundred,” said Root, who faced 207 balls and struck 20 fours in a chanceless exhibition.

“It’s something I’ll remember for a very long time.

“I think we’re in a good position now and, if we continue to bat well, we can put them under pressure with the pitch beginning to deteriorate.

“If we can get some sort of lead, I think we’ll have a real good chance of winning the match.”

It was one of Yorkshire’s few old hands rather than one of their myriad young bucks who got their day off to a flying start.

Having taken four wickets on the first day, Ryan Sidebottom completed his first five-wicket haul since rejoining the club when he dismissed Michael Yardy with the fifth ball of the morning.

Yardy had added only four runs to his overnight 126 when he fended at one and was caught behind.

Sidebottom then accepted a well-judged catch at long-leg when Wayne Parnell hooked Rich Pyrah, who struck again two balls later when Kirk Wernars played-on to leave Sussex 363-8.

Adil Rashid rounded off the innings by winning leg before decisions against Amjad Khan and Monty Panesar, the last five wickets tumbling for 63 runs in 90 minutes.

Yorkshire’s reply began gloomily when acting captain Jacques Rudolph perished just before lunch, caught at first slip off Parnell for a single.

Parnell removed Joe Sayers lbw with the total on 29 before Root and Anthony McGrath added 52 in 11 overs.

McGrath was another lbw casualty during a fine spell of Sussex bowling in yesterday’s afternoon session.

There seemed a real opportunity for the visitors to put Yorkshire in distress and leave them in the region of 100-5, but Root and Jonny Bairstow braved the storm, adding 75 in 23 overs before Bairstow edged a good ball from James Anyon to first slip.

Root was joined by another blossoming young batsman in Gary Ballance, who quietly went about his business to reach an unbeaten 45 off 88 balls.

The pair added 95 in 30 overs as Ballance, too, chases a maiden Championship century.

Root went to three-figures with a cut for four off Anyon to the foot of the popular bank, which shared in his joy as he removed his helmet and punched the air.

The young man is clearly a batsman of immense potential – one worthy of walking in the footsteps of the great Michael Vaughan.

More than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for next summer’s Test match between England and South Africa at Headingley Carnegie.

Headingley is hosting the second game of the series from August 2-6.

Tickets can be bought online at www.yorkshireccc.com or by calling 0871 971 1222.