County Championship Yorkshire v Lancashire

At Headingley Neil Whitaker reports

Day 1

KESTON Jennings became the second Lancashire batter to hit three consecutive Championship centuries against Yorkshire and his second consecutive Championship century this season.

Last season he hit 114 at Old Trafford and an unbeaten 132 at Headingley.  The previous player to hit three consecutive centuries for Lancashire against Yorkshire was Geoff Pullar who hit 109 at Bramall Lane, 105 at Old Trafford both in 1959 and 121 at Headingley in 1960.

Jennings ended the day unbeaten  on 150 which came from  280 balls and to  rub salt into the Yorkshire wounds they dropped him three times before he reached his three figures.  The first came in the 10th over when Jennings nibbled at one from Jordan Thompson and edged it but stumper Harry Duke couldn’t take the low chance, Lancashire would have been two down.

Yorkshire dropped him again when he was on 70 when he cut Dom Bess and the ball flew to Adam Lyth at slip but he couldn’t hold on to it. On 85 he drove  Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson straight but the Yorkshire captain couldn’t hold on to it.

Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson said: “I got an hand to it  so it was a chance. It  was disappointing after we started so well with a couple of early wickets.  We put two soft chances down which would have made them 20 for four but nobody drops catches on purpose but it means we have to take 13 wickets.

I thought Jennings batted well and made us pay for dropping him. It’s been a very poor day for us.”

Jennings went into tea on 87 and tea he raced to 99,  with the help of consecutive boundaries off Harris  Rauf, the first through mid wicket aided by some poor  fielding on the boundary and the second was straight, then he got stuck on 99 for 13 balls before he clipped Rauf through mid wicket for a couple.  His century came from 207 balls in 273 minutes and included 16 fours.

After he reached his century he made batting look easy. He guided Thompson to the third man boundary shot of the day for him.  A brute of a pull off Tom Loten found the mid wicket boundary, a couple of balls later Jennings pushed Loten along the ground to the third wicket boundary.  He elegantly drove Thompson straight, he repeated the shot in Thompson’s next over.

Steven Croft said: “We’re in a fantastic position after a tough start and with Jennings we built a good partnership and it was nice for both of us to score centuries. Jennings made batting look easy. It was nice to score  my second  century of the season, I would have taken that at the start of the season. Hopefully we can carry on tomorrow.”

The partnership between Jennings and Croft wasn’t a one sided affair, for much of it the pair were neck and neck until Jennings reached the eighties then he powered away from Croft.  Yorkshire who suffered from dropsey in their last match, when they dropped seven catches, dropped another when Croft on five edged Loten but Harry  Brook at third slip couldn’t hold on to it.

Croft pulled Rauf to the square leg boundary to bring up his fifty off 109 balls in 129 with nine fours and also the hundred partnership with Jennings.  The former Lancashire captain Croft steered Rauf through the slips for a couple to bring up the Lancashire fifty in the 28th over and drove Joe  Root over the long on boundary for the first six of the match

He drove Thompson to the extra cover boundary to bring up his hundred from 212 balls with 16 fours and a six in 262 minutes.  After adding 237 in 75 overs with Jennings, Croft played over a straight ball and was leg before to give Rauf his first wicket of the innings.

Put into bat on an overcast day Lancashire opener Luke Wells broke with the tradition of Roses matches and drilled the first ball of the match from Thompson to the extra cover boundary.  Then it was back to attritional cricket with only another 12 runs in the first hour. Lancashire lost their first wicket of the day in the ninth over when Wells pushed at Thompson and feathered it to Duke.

After their failure to get rid of Jennings they did get their second wicket with  an inswining yorker from Thompson which hit Josh Bohannon on his boot. 

If the first hour’s play was attritional the rest of the day’s play wasn’t.  The second hour produced 41 and in the first hour after lunch they scored 74 runs in 15 overs.

Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas got off the mark when he clipped his first ball from Rauf to the mid wicket boundary.

Day 2

LANCASHIRE made their highest Championship score against Yorkshire of 566 before declaring when their ninth wicket fell leaving them 22 overs at Yorkshire who lost two wickets in reaching 53.

Earlier in the day Keaton Jennings hit the highest Championship score for Lancashire never mind the highest Lancashire score against Yorkshire with 238.  He reached that  milestone when he dabbed Jordan Thompson out on to the offside for a single in the third over after lunch.  The previous highest was 206 by Stuart Law in 2007 at Headingley.

Jennings beat his previous best score which was an unbeaten 221, also against Yorkshire but for Durham at Chester-le-Street in 2016, when he danced down the wicket to Dom  Bess and launched him to the  long on boundary.  His previous best score for Lancashire was 177 at Worcester in 2017.

He said: “I am just happy to put the team in the position we are in.  Records are there to be broken but also to look back on at the end of your career, I am a great advocate of putting teams into a position of winning.  We are in a really strong position but it could have been a lot worse earlier in our innings.  There’s enough in the surface for the heavy roller to have an effect. It’s been an interesting first two days of cricket and there’s time left for plenty more and there’s some rough for Parkinson.”

The luck that he had on the first day continued on the second day.  On, 170 he was dropped again. He  slashed a wide one from Steve Patterson which hit Harry Brook’s hand at gully which saved two runs.

Jennings reached his third double century when cheekily glanced  Bess off his legs to the fine leg boundary and he received a big bear hug from  his captain Dane  Vilas.  His 200 came in 487 minutes from 361 balls with 26 fours and was the first double century by a Lancashire opener since Mike Atherton’s unbeaten 268 against Glamorgan at Blackpool in 1999.

Vilas drove Thompson to the extra cover boundary to take him to 10,000 first class runs and an angled drive through point off Thompson took Vilas past 10,000 first class runs.  

Their partnership should have been broken when Jennings pushed Patterson out on to the offside and set off for a quick single. Vilas hesitated and there was nearly a collision but Brook’s throw at the stump missed and ran for four overthrows.

Vilas hit 19 off one over from Harris  Rauf.  Vilas through the kitchen sink at a wide delivery to the point boundary.  He drove the next ball straight to bring up the hundred partnership.  That was followed by a top edge over the slips heads for a four and to cap the over off he reached his fifty with a hook that went for a six and out of the ground. By now Yorkshire were batted out of the match.

Vilas greeted the return of  Bess to the attack by going down the pitch and lofted him over long on and lofted the next ball over long off but the fell short off the boundary. Yorkshire ended the over by dropping another chance when Vilas on 64 edged him to Harry Duke but the ball didn’t stick. The partnership was broken when missed a sweep off Bess and was leg before for 82 after adding 177 in 45 overs with Jennings.

Jennings’ 459 minute  innings ended in a  bizarre way.  Phil Salt whipped Bess to Thompson at wide mid on and set off for a single without seeing if the ball had cleared Thompson who had dove to his right. Jennings responded to Salt’s call who then sent him back.  Jennings was left stranded yards out as Thompson lobbed the ball to Bess to remove the bails.

Eventually Yorkshire took a slip catch when Salt edged a drive off Bess and Adam Lyth at first slip took the catch in the bread basket much to the relief of the Yorkshire crowd.   Tom Loten got his first Championship wicket in the second over after tea when  Tom Bailey drove  Loten straight and the bowler stuck out a hand and the ball stuck.

Parkinson thumped Loten through extra cover for a couple to take Lancashire to their highest Championship score against Yorkshire beating the 537 they made at Old Trafford in 2005.

Loten got his second wicket when Luke Wood flicked him to George Hill at long leg and Lancashire declared.

Needing 417 to avoid the follow on Yorkshire lost their first wicket in the second over when Lyth shouldered arms to Bailey and was struck on his pad.   George Hill and Dawid Malan added  37 in overs and didn’t look in any trouble but George Balderson came into the attack as the fourth bowler and he struck with his third ball when Malan chipped him to Parkinson at mid wicket who took a diving catch.

Day 3

JOE  Root hit his first Roses century which may seem daft but it’s only his fourth Roses match and his second at Headingley.

He made an early appearance coming in the sixth over of the day when night watchman Tom  Loten missed a slow full toss from Tom  Bailey and was leg before.  Root shared in 154 partnership for the sixth wicket with Harry  Duke and it was a valuable partnership as Yorkshire had just lost their man in form Harry Brook who had scored seven fifties in his last seven Championship innings.

Root  made batting look easy but he did a couple of near misses.  He pushed at James Anderson and edged it, fortunately for Root it went just wide off Luke Wells at first slip and ran to the boundary. He brought his fifty up when he drove  Anderson straight for a couple.  

He slogged swept Matt Parkinson just off at short off Dane Vilas at short extra cover for another boundary with a shot that has become Root’s go to shot against the spinners. On 73 he edged Luke Wood but the ball died on Wells at slip and ran to the boundary.

After sweeping Parkinson to the fine leg boundary Root nearly reversed swept the next ball into Wells at slip.

He steered George Bladerson to third man for a couple to bring up the hundred partnership with Duke which  came from 219 balls in 137 minutes and his century when he tickled Parkinson round the corner for a single to bring up his  century.

Lancashire took the new ball straight after tea they thought they had got immediate success with it, Root’s wicket.  They all went up for a catch behind but umpire Paul Pollard was unmoved.  His 345 minute innings  from 217 balls ended when he edged a drive off Parkinson bowling around the wicket. Root batted with his two eyed stance when Parkinson bowled around the wicket to him and it was left to Wells to snaffle the low catch at slip.

At the other end  Duke marveled at Root’s innings while the 20 year old wicket keeper dropped anchor.  Duke was in need of a score, after his two fifties last season his batting has gone off the boil and mistakes have  crept into his wicket keeping so he needed a score to make his position in the team more secure.

Duke, like Root, did have a bit of luck when he sliced a drive off Parkinson and was relieved to see it drop just short of Keaton Jennings at backward point.  He faced 202 balls in his 229 minute innings but his innings ended in a very sad way.  Trying to attack Parkinson he tried to ramp him and was bowled. That wicket gave Lancashire another bowling point.

Duke said: “I’ve not had the scores I wanted this season so it was nice to get some runs. I was trying to manoeuvre the field and I got away from what I was doing so well.  It was amazing to be out there batting with Root, he helped so much and gave me confidence.”

After being peppered by short balls by Anderson, George Hill half heartedly pulled a short and the ball looped to Vilas at short mid wicket.  The stage was set for Brook to state a claim for the England team batting with Root.

The pair batted as if they were on another planet as they regularly found the boundary.  Brook got off the mark with a beautiful straight drive off Balederson to the boundary. He clipped George Balderson through mid wicket bisecting two fielders and drove him to the extra cover boundary to move into double figures and he finished the over with a cover drive to the boundary. Root angled a thick edge off Wood to the point boundary as Yorkshire added 48 in the first hour.

For the first time this season Brook was out for less than fifty when he was bowled by Parkinson.  After delaying Parkinson’s entry into the attack until the 39th over Parkinson struck in his second over.  Brook tried to work him to leg but it was a leg spinner and Brook lost his middle stump.  In the 66 run partnership with Root he hit 41 from 33 balls with nine fours in 48 minutes.  But Yorkshire were 432 behind with five wickets left.

Parkinson who took three wickets said: “It was a tough day and it was a great effort to take six wickets in the day.  I thought the seamers were outstanding.

I thought Root played amazingly. He was very difficult to bowl at but it was nice to test myself against.”

Bailey angled one in at  Dom Bess who tried to work it on the legside and was adjudged leg before.

Day 4

HARRY Brook hit an unbeaten 82 as he guided Yorkshire to a draw after being forced to follow on 187 behind Lancashire.

Brook was dropped on 30 when he pulled James Anderson to Luke Wood at mid wicket but Wood couldn’t make the low catch and Anderson gave Wood a disgusted look. To add insult to injury  Brook and Harry  Duke pinched a single.  When the players shook hands with seven overs left in the match Lancashire hadn’t found a way to get past. Brook’s defences.

Lancashire head coach Glenn Chapple  said: “We dominated the game after been put in.  We applied ourselves well and gave it our best shot on a surface which was very flat.

We were going to bowl if we won the toss and were disappointed to lose two early wickets  jet they bowled  very well in the first session.  We knew that if we got through the first two sessions that batting would become easier.  Our batters stuck at it perfectly and we made it difficult for Yorkshire.

We are confident that we are dominating teams and we’ve got to keep doing what we are doing.”

Yorkshire head coach Otis Gibson said: “They dominated the match for a large part of it but we are happy to come away  with an honourable draw.  It was a tough four days for us,   but we didn’t feel at any stage that we were out of it.  Our catching is a concern, we can’t keep giving batters chances because they are going to make you pay.

Duke missed a couple of chances but his attitude is great but he’s a young kid.  I am very pleased with what he has been doing for us this year.”

Following on 187 behind Yorkshire lost their first wicket to the third ball of their second innings when  Adam Lyth played down the wrong line to Tom  Bailey and was leg before.

Dawid Malan hit consecutive boundaries off Wood, the first was a thunderous drive through long off and the second was a loose ball cut to the point boundary.

Before lunch Anderson bowled four maidens in six overs and his spell after lunch was fantastic, he bowled six overs for 11 runs and took two wickets.  In the first over after lunch  he had Malan nibbling at a couple  but got an edge to the third ball and umpire Martin Saggers gave him out.  Malan couldn’t believe the decision and looked bemused  by it.

In his next over Anderson bowled Joe  Root with a beauty that kept a shade low and  knocked two stumps out of the ground.  Anderson brought the ball back in at him and Root played down the wrong line.  Anderson celebrated as if he had taken the last wicket to win the Ashes and to say to Root that’s for leaving me out of the West Indies tour.

George Hill’s 162 minute innings ended when he tried to hook Wood but got a thin top edge to it and Phil Salt took a low catch.  A sad way to end a 40 run partnership with Brook in 17 overs as Hill walked from the field he looked disappointed.

Brook cut Matt Parkinson to the point boundary to bring up his seventh Championship fifty of the season from 90 balls and six fours.

Duke 65 minute resistance ended when he pushed forward at Parkinson and edged him to Luke Wells at slip who took a fantastic low catch one handed diving to his right.  With five wickets left Yorkshire were 63 behind.

It was another 14 overs before Lancashire got another wicket but in poor light they did dry up to the runs.  Parkinson got his second wicket when Dom  Bess pushed forward at him and it brushed his bat and the ball looped to Keaton Jennings at short leg.

Before he had scored Jordan Thompson edged between first slip and Salt and the ball ran to the boundary, if that chance had been taken it might have won the match.

Yorkshire lost their first of the morning in the sixth over when Steven Patterson was bamboozled by a short ball from Wood which took the shoulder of Patterson’s bat and nobody knew where the ball went until  Steven Croft at gully stepped forward to take the catch.

Haris  Rauf had a big yahoo at Parkinson and was bowled. Parkinson finished with four for 90 and Bailey ended with three for 56.

Before play started there was a minute’s silence in memory of Andrew Symonds who played for Lancashire in 2005 hitting 146 in a Roses match at Emirates Old Trafford.  The players  from both sides and the umpires wore black armbands

Scorecard