Yorkshire Rebound From Difficult Opener

02/05/2025 11:54 Share

Yorkshire Rebound From Difficult Opener

Yorkshire County Cricket Club bounced back from a tough opening game in the County Championship with two more encouraging performances during April’s early fixtures.

The Vertu-backed side returned to Division 1 keen to impress but the opening game of the season on the road against Hampshire would prove to be one to forget.

Batting first, Yorkshire were dismissed for 121 – with Liam Dawson taking 3-8 – which allowed the home side to secure an early advantage in the game with a first innings lead of 128.

Adam Lyth produced a fine innings of 106 second time round to give Yorkshire a slim chance of victory, with Dom Bess and Jack White taking two wickets each to leave Hampshire on 86-4 chasing 148 to win.

Although Bess bagged a third wicket. Hampshire wrapped up victory by five wickets with Yorkshire then returning to Headingley for the first home fixture of the season.

This time around, Yorkshire were on top from the start, with Dawid Malan top scoring with 98 and three others passing 50 in a first innings total of 456. The bowlers then took control on day two to rip through the Worcestershire batting order, with Ben Coad taking 3-39 and eight wickets falling for just 46 runs as the visitors were dismissed for 162.

Electing to bat again, Yorkshire extended their lead to 355 by the end of day two eventually declared on 315-4 – with Malan unbeaten on 76 and Dom Bess bagging an impressive century.

That set Worcestershire an unlikely 610 for victory but wickets once again fell at regular intervals, with George Hill taking 4-23 as Yorkshire took the points by a record margin of 504.

Bess and Hill impressed with the bat at the Riverside in the final game of the month against Durham, with James Wharton the third man to score in the 60s in a first innings total of 307.

Centuries from Alex Lees and Emilio Gray took Durham to within six runs of the Yorkshire total for the loss of a single wicket but when Lees was dismissed by Matthew Revis, the visitors were able to fight back to bowl the hosts out for 427.

Lyth hit a half-century as Yorkshire ended the third day leading by twelve runs with six wickets in hand, and an unbeaten 86 from Jonny Bairstow – and the arrival of rain – meant the game ended up as a draw.

Four County Championship games are scheduled for May before focus turns towards the opening fixtures in the Vitality Blast.

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