LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two - Sunday 25 June 2023
Match drawn (12 points)
Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Yorkshire v Gloucestershire | LV= Insurance County Championship
DAY ONE
Yorkshire pair Fin Bean and George Hill posted centuries - 114 and 101 respectively - to ensure their side had the best of the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Gloucestershire at Headingley.
Left-handed opener Bean faced 153 balls for his second century of the Division Two season - and the second of the 21-year-old’s career. It was the main contribution in Yorkshire’s 393 for six from 91 overs.
He shared a stand of 57 with Dawid Malan for the third wicket during the morning and then 153 for the fourth either side of lunch with fellow up and comer George Hill, who then faced 180 balls and shared 111 for the fifth wicket with Jonny Tattersall.
Left-arm seamer Taylor stood out with three for 43 from 17 overs, including Tattersall late on for 79. Five overs were lost to evening rain.
Bean watched on from the non-striker’s end as three senior partners departed before lunch, including Lyth and captain Shan Masood within four balls to Taylor as the score slipped to 33 for two in the sixth over.
Lyth edged to second slip trying to leave alone before Masood was trapped lbw for a three-ball duck.
Bean shared 57 with another left-hander, Dawid Malan, who looked in good order for 28 before being caught behind down leg trying pull Ben Charlesworth’s seam - 90 for three in the 17th.
Bean reached his century off 140 balls midway through the afternoon. But he only faced 13 more deliveries and fell caught at deep square-leg pulling at Zaman Akhter - 243 for four in the 53rd over.
After tea, Hill moved into the nineties and took Yorkshire beyond 300 by helping Tattersall take 19 from the 72nd over against Gohar, including a slog-swept six over midwicket.
He reached his century off 177 balls before falling caught behind off Ollie Price’s off-spin. And when Taylor, now bowling with the new ball, had Tattersall caught at second slip, Yorkshire were 368 for six after 86 overs.
DAY TWO
Matthew Revis became the third Yorkshire up and comer to post a century in their dominant first-innings 550 for nine declared against Gloucestershire at Headingley as the county went on the hunt for a second successive LV= Insurance County Championship victory.
Revis, aged 21, advanced from 25 not out at the start of day two to an unbeaten 104 off 163 balls, backing up the centuries opener Fin Bean and fellow all-rounder George Hill had scored on day one.
Yorkshire declared in the first half of the afternoon before an action-packed Gloucestershire reply of 232 for five from 57 overs saw Miles Hammond breeze to an entertaining 84 not out off 95 balls.
Fledgling home fast bowler Dom Leech had a good day. He hit a career best 32 down the order before claiming his maiden Championship wicket in his second appearance added to four Bob Willis Trophy wickets in 2020.
Surrey loanee left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty also claimed three for 79 from 20 overs for the hosts, although he conceded five sixes as Hammond attacked from 125 for four.
Left-arm quick Matt Taylor was Gloucestershire’s standout performer with the ball, returning four for 70.
Just under four years ago, when only 17, Revis debuted as an opening batter in a season-ending Championship defeat against Kent here.
Since then, he has developed into an all-rounder used more as a seam bowler. But his talent with the willow has always been evident.
He has previously scored first-team fifties against both the red and white ball, but this was unquestionably the Sedbergh School graduate’s breakthrough innings.
Of course, it has been a big couple of weeks for Sedbergh School. Last week, their current women’s star Mahika Gaur of Thunder made her England A debut, while Hill and Revis are former pupils. Another alumni Harry Brook, meanwhile, is carrying the hopes of a nation in the Ashes.
Revis slog-swept his only six, added to 10 boundaries, and was particularly strong through the covers.
But he was forced into a nervous pursuit of the four remaining runs to reach his century when Australian overseas seamer Mark Steketee was stumped off Zafar Gohar’s left-arm spin.
With the help of last man Moriarty, they came in singles and a cover driven boundary almost immediately before the declaration.
Revis and aforementioned fellow Sedberghians Hill and Brook are Yorkshire through and through.
One man who isn’t but made a noteworthy day two impact was Surrey squad man Moriarty.
His move to Yorkshire on a four-game Championship loan spell caught the eye over the weekend given the fact he was replacing off-spinner Dom Bess, he of 14 England Test caps.
Bess hasn’t been at the races consistently in the Championship this season, and Yorkshire's management have opted to look at another option.
And it was a decision which reaped rewards in the form of a trio of wickets either side of tea.
But Moriarty did get lofted down the ground for five sixes - four from left-handed Hammond - having started with three maidens in his first four overs.
He has only played two Championship matches for Surrey since the start of last season but was quickly into the wickets.
After Leech broke through to get Chris Dent caught in the slips driving for 34, Moriarty trapped South African overseas Grant Roelofsen lbw pushing forwards with what proved the last ball of the afternoon - 80 for two in the 22nd over.
Moriarty later had Ben Charlesworth caught at slip for 35 driving and captain Graeme van Buuren caught behind pulling. The Charlesworth dismissal was queried for a bump ball, but Gloucestershire were 125 for four in the 32nd over.
Though things changed, and pretty quickly too as excellent Hammond took the game on and gained far from sluggish support from wicketkeeper James Bracey.
Hammond reached his fifty off 60 balls and shared 96 for the fifth wicket with Bracey, whose 44 was ended when he edged Adam Lyth’s off-spin to slip, leaving the score at 221 for five in the 50th over.
This was part-timer Lyth’s first bowl of the season.
DAY THREE
Gloucestershire were rewarded with some brotherly love as Ollie Price and older brother Tom batted in entertaining fashion to bat their team to almost certain safety in the ongoing LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.
Gloucestershire started a weather-affected day three at 2.15pm on 232 for five replying to Yorkshire’s first-innings 550 for nine declared and closed on 421 for eight, with Ollie Price unbeaten on 97 off 140 balls.
Ollie was one not out at the day’s beginning and Tom hadn’t even arrived at the crease, with Miles Hammond unbeaten on 84 and about to complete 92 with seven sixes.
When Hammond fell caught at long-on off Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin, leaving the score at 246 for six, it paved the way for a Gloucestershire game of ‘The Price is Right’ during a day of only 38 overs.
Ollie, aged 22, was ably supported by Tom - a year older - with 59. They shared a Gloucestershire seventh-wicket record partnership in matches versus Yorkshire, 162 inside 33 overs either side of tea.
It was also the match’s highest partnership, and it remains possible the two brothers from Oxford will have posted their maiden first-team centuries in this season’s Championship by early morning tomorrow after Tom did it against Worcestershire in April.
With Gloucestershire 129 runs behind, a contrived finish is the only realistic way a draw could be avoided.
Hammond only added eight runs to his overnight 84, which had come in 95 balls with six sixes - the majority lofted down the ground off Moriarty.
And he was trying to play in the same attacking manner on day three despite a few factors against him - a slate grey sky with the floodlights and Gloucestershire still 169 runs away from avoiding the follow-on.
Anyway, he hoisted the second ball of the day in the 58th over, from Surrey loanee Moriarty, over long-off for six before trying similar in the spinner’s next over but picking out Dom Leech at long-on, leaving the score at 246 for six in the 60th.
Moriarty had wicket number four, and Dom Bess’s replacement in Yorkshire’s team was doing a decent job.
The only downer from his point of view was that, after a tidy start on day two with three maidens in his first four overs, he was starting to concede some boundaries.
He conceded seven sixes in figures of four for 96 after 25 overs, while his 26th saw Ollie Price hit him for three successive boundaries as the visitors closed on 300.
Moriarty finished the day with four for 131 from 33 overs amidst an otherwise off colour home display.
The light forced Yorkshire to employ spin from both ends pretty early into proceedings, with Adam Lyth bowling some part-time off-spin.
There was a near 25-minute delay for bad light from just before 3.20pm, with 17 overs bowled beforehand. Fifteen of them were sent down by the spin of Moriarty and part-time offie Adam Lyth.
Ollie Price played positively but differently to Hammond. He swept and reverse swept on the way to an 82-ball fifty after the resumption following bad light.
The 10 overs upon the resumption from bad light through to tea proved game changing.
The Prices took 69 runs to advance from 300 for six, including 45 from four bowled by Australian debutant overseas seamer Mark Steketee and Matthew Fisher.
Tom took on Fisher’s short stuff and then drove an arrow straight boundary off Steketee, with Ollie three times edging the latter wide of the slips to reach tea on 75 and the visitors 369 for six and only 32 short of the follow-on.
Only 15 more runs were added before another 25-minute break for bad light.
Later, Tom reached his fifty off 93 balls as Gloucestershire avoided the follow-on at 402 for six. But he was bowled almost immediately by George Hill.
When Zafar Gohar failed to evade a Leech short ball in the next over, Gloucestershire were 413 for eight after 93 overs. Only two more overs were possible before a third bad light stoppage was the final one at 5.55pm.
DAY FOUR
Gloucestershire all-rounder Ollie Price completed an excellent maiden first-team century during an otherwise low-key final day at Headingley as their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire finished in a draw.
Price moved from 97 not out overnight to reach three figures in the day’s first over as the visitors were bowled out for 464 in reply to a first-innings 550 for nine declared during the first half of the morning.
Price was last man out for 113 off 162 balls to loanee left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty, who finished with five for 139 on Yorkshire debut.
Yorkshire started their second innings with a lead of 86 and reached 200 for six in the 48th over when rain stopped play at 4.30pm, a lead of 286. No more play was possible.
During a weather-affected third day, 22-year-old all-rounder Ollie Price shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 162 with his older brother Tom.
This season, the brothers have both posted their maiden first-team centuries in this competition after new ball seamer Tom did it in a draw at New Road in April.
There was always the chance of a potential final day contrived finish, but that didn’t eventuate and both sides - relegated from Division One last year - remain closer to the bottom of the Division Two table than they are to the top.
Yorkshire claimed 13 points and have won once from seven outings, while Gloucestershire took 12 and remain winless after eight.
Price reached his milestone century with a leg-glanced boundary off the fifth ball of the day from George Hill’s seam.
Two balls later, Matt Taylor edged seamer Dom Leech to first slip as Gloucestershire slipped to 425 for nine.
Unfortunately for the smattering of spectators present on an overcast day at Headingley, this wasn’t a day’s play jam-packed with edge of your seat action.
But even though the game was drifting, Gloucestershire bowled well after lunch and took some scalps with them back to the South West. Adam Lyth also posted a pleasing 55 either side of lunch for Yorkshire.
Given the position of Yorkshire in the Division Two table and no threat of relegation, it was somewhat of a surprise that no adventure was shown.
Wrapping up Gloucestershire’s innings, debutant Moriarty bowled a sweeping Price to secure his fifth wicket having joined Yorkshire from Surrey for the next month of Championship action.
Lyth and Fin Bean shared a 73-run opening partnership at the start of Yorkshire’s second innings, with Bean caught behind pushing forwards at Zafar Gohar’s left-arm spin three balls into the afternoon for 38 including a pulled six off Ollie Price’s off-spin.
Lyth pulled, reverse swept and drove on the way to 55 before edging Zaman Akhter’s seam to first slip, ending a 56-run second-wicket stand with captain Shan Masood.
The Pakistani international, however, was bowled reverse sweeping at compatriot Gohar shortly afterwards, leaving Yorkshire at 135 for three in the 31st over.
By this stage, the floodlights had been turned on at Headingley. For the game, it was very much lights out.
A 451-minute break for bad light and rain from just before 3pm accounted for the loss of seven overs before played resumed, allowing impressive Gohar to claim his third wicket when Dawid Malan was caught behind cutting for 20.
That was the first of two wickets in five balls as Ben Charlesworth’s first ball accounted for Jonny Tattersall caught at slip as Yorkshire fell to 161 for five in the 40th over.
Gohar was the pick of the bowlers with three for 63 from 18 overs, while Chris Dent struck with his third ball, getting Hill caught at slip with his left-arm medium pace.
Dent celebrated in disbelief and patted Hill on the back as he departed, maybe owing to the fact he usually bowls part-time left-arm spin. It proved to be the fixture’s final ball.