Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire Lightning: Jonny Tattersall aiming to be man for all formats

Tattersall was the star man as Yorkshire beat Nottinghamshire by 23 runs at Headingley on Monday, top-scoring with 48 not out from 30 balls as the hosts totalled 202-5 and then taking two catches with the wicketkeeping gloves – one of them spectacular – as the visitors responded with 179-7.

Now a man whose route back into the side was made possible by a recurrence of Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s concussion symptoms, after Yorkshire’s first-choice T20 wicketkeeper played in the opening three group games, is targeting a spot not only in 20-over cricket but also in the County Championship as well as the 50-over format.

Kohler-Cadmore has suffered a setback after getting hit on the head during the Pakistan Super League in January, while Tattersall has not played a Championship fixture for Yorkshire since May last year and featured as a batsman only in last year’s 50-over Cup, with rookie Harry Duke having been preferred behind the stumps in four-day and one-day cricket.

“Obviously I want to play every game for the Yorkshire first team,” said Tattersall, who should be coming towards his peak now at the age of 27. “I don’t want to be playing in the second team; nobody does. But that’s part and parcel of the game.

“Injuries, selection, team dynamics, things like that – you’ve just got to wait for your opportunity and keep trying to do the right things and bide your time, which is something I like to think I do quite well. I’ve waited for my opportunity this season and I managed to take it (against Notts), so hopefully I can build on that and keep moving forward.”

Duke, 20, has played in all six Championship games this year but is being challenged strongly by Tattersall for when the tournament resumes against Hampshire in Southampton on Sunday.

There had been talk of a possible Championship recall for Tattersall prior to the start of the T20 Blast, with Duke averaging 27.14 this season and 20.36 in 15 Championship matches all told since replacing his more experienced colleague.

Duke has had a challenging time behind the stumps this year but Yorkshire have stuck with him and he responded with 48, his highest score of the season, in the most recent game against Warwickshire at Headingley.

With the club’s first-choice keeper Jonny Bairstow rarely available due to international/franchise cricket, the batsman/keeper position has proved a difficult one for Yorkshire to nail down to their absolute satisfaction, with perhaps little to choose between Duke and Tattersall on their day.

“Obviously I’ve been disappointed not to be playing in the Championship stuff, but it’s a long season and we’ve got a good squad of players and you’ve got to fight for your position,” added Tattersall.

“The good thing is I’ve been playing well in the second team, so I’ve just been waiting for my opportunity to play and I’ve been given it in T20 due to the situation with Tom and his concussion, which is unfortunate because he’s a big loss for us.

“I like to think that I add something a little bit different to the team and I think I showed that (against Notts). There’s more than one way to play the game, and it was nice to get a bit of confidence out in the middle and to contribute to a win.”

Born in Harrogate and educated in Knaresborough, Tattersall has never been a power-striker in the mould of a Kohler-Cadmore. He is more of a touch player, an accumulator, a classical strokemaker, but it would be a mistake to underestimate his ability to find and clear the rope.

Indeed, perhaps the most striking aspects of Tattersall’s innings against Notts were the sixes he launched over square-leg off Matthew Carter and over long-on off Samit Patel, the right-hander generating his own pace on the ball off the two spinners.

To an important fifth-wicket stand of 65 in 42 balls with Will Fraine, who can clear the boundary and has done so frequently, it said much for Tattersall’s adaptability that he, in fact, was the aggressor-in-chief, contributing 43 of those runs at a time when firepower was needed.

“It was nice to get some runs and to hit a couple of sixes as well,” said Tattersall. “I’m not renowned for that, but I managed to get a few away this time. That’s what I’m capable of, but I’d have liked a few more runs and I felt like I probably left a few out there as well.

“Hopefully, I’ve given the coaches something to think about with selection and stuff, especially behind the stumps, but whatever they decide, if we keep winning as a team then that’s the main thing.”

Attention now turns to tomorrows game against Lancashire at Headingley, with Yorkshire targeting a third straight victory to make it four wins from seven in the 14-match group stage.

“We’ve just had another epic match at their place (a tie) and we always seem to have good matches against them,” said Tattersall.

“We know that if we can play the cricket we’re capable of, we can definitely take anyone on.”