Yorkshire 517 and 220 for 4 (Hope 83*, Hill 57*, Wharton 52) lead Leicestershire 415 (Handscomb 112, Rehan 85, Milnes 3-72, Thompson 3-86) by 322 runs
Yorkshire’s coach, Ottis Gibson, expressed the wish on the eve of the season for a new groundstaff to bring more life to Headingley’s surfaces as they seek to return to Division One at the first attempt, but there have been no signs of an instant cure against Leicestershire as a docile surface has left batters in the ascendancy and bowlers having to labour for their rewards.
For all that, this match enters the final day with a positive result still possible. Yorkshire lead by 322 with six wickets remaining and must time an awkward declaration on the final morning, earplugs in to ignore the cries from the outer of “declare”. They will surely need around 370 to feel entirely safe and their inability to bowl sides out last season – Gloucestershire at Bristol was their only victory – will be foremost in their minds. A forecast of a cloudy day might help to steel their minds.
That the match is not dead owes much to the positive intent of both sides, but particularly Yorkshire, who scored at more than five runs an over in the first innings, and almost that second time around despite the potential inhibitions caused by the loss of three wickets to the new ball after establishing a first-innings lead of 102. Those prematurely shouting “declare” tonight would be just as likely to shout “rubbish, Yorkshire” tomorrow if things take a turn for the worst.
International selectors do not often turn first to Leicestershire’s scores – and Gloucestershire’s Marcus Harris, who did win a contract, also struck a century and does seem to be ahead of him as an Ashes possibility this summer. But Handscomb fared better than some of his colleagues on Australia’s recent tour of India and an innings of impressive certainty suggested he is not about to lose hope yet. He has six games with Leicestershire to push his claims and called the Headingley pitch “a lovely surprise” which is probably the nicest thing anybody had said about Yorkshire for a while.
Responsibility for tweaking the nature of Headingley’s pitches rests primarily with Richard Robinson, who has the former head grounds manager, Andy Fogarty, as a consultant. Fogarty stood down because he no longer wanted to work full-time – and it is not known if anyone dared to suggest that the easiest way to achieve that was a succession of three-day finishes. With diversity much on people’s minds at Yorkshire, it is also worth reflecting that Jasmine Nicholls, a former international race-walker, has become only the second woman to work on the groundstaff on an English international ground. Meg Ley, who hails from New Zealand farming stock, became the first at Bristol last season.
Yorkshire’s serious commitment to changing the culture of the county has also been seen in the election of the first female president, Jane Powell, a former captain and head coach of England women. These are all positive balancing moments in Yorkshire’s history and, with Championship crowds undoubtedly thinned out this season, with some former members taking a view on the racist ructions that have beset the county, Yorkshire will be desperate for a new wave of supporters to show commitment to a new era once the T20 Blast comes around.
It was the first over after lunch when Rehan succumbed for 85, Jordan Thompson managing to get one off the straight for Hill to hold on at first slip. Handscomb was lbw to one from Coad that shaded back, but the last two wickets weighed in with 83 as Chris Wright hit about him for an unbeaten 66 from 82 balls. Bess has worked with Australia’s Nathan Lyon over the winter, but Wright hit him for three sixes over long-off and he finished with 0 for 69 in 11 overs. Never trust an Aussie in an Ashes year.
David Hopps writes on county cricket for ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps
Source: ESPN Crickinfo