Yorkshire v Somerset County championship Div 1 at Headingley September 15-18th
Neil Whitaker reports
Day 1September 16, 2026 11:08 am
YORKSHIRE’s Ben Cliff took three wickets for the first time in a Rothesay County Championship match to get Yorkshire back in the match after Somerset had turned in a Champions performance to dismiss them for 212 in 66 overs.
Cliff said: “It was a nice day at the office and to get three wickets put us in a good position. The pitch has got pace with extra bounce and it was nice to bowl on. I think we have put ourselves in a good position.”
Somerset’s bowlers Lewis Gregory, Miguel Pretorius and Jake Ball each took three wickets and were well supported by Craig Overton and Jack Leach. The Somerset bowlers had done their job now it was up to their batsmen.
Yorkshire made an early breakthrough in the Somerset innings when Ben Coad got one to rise at Tom Lamonby taking his outside edge and George Hill at first slip took an easy two handed catch as the ball was about to pass him.
Without adding to the score in the next over Josh Thomas was leg before to Cliff. Thomas attempted to pull Cliff but missed the ball, after an age umpire Jack Shantry gave him out.
With ease Archie Vaughan hooked Cliff over the fine leg boundary for a six into the North east stand. In Cliff’s next over Vaughan got too far under a pull but still managed to get the ball over the long leg boundary. But it was Cliff who had the last laugh when he angled one one in at Vaughan who played a loose drive and was bowled through the gate. Cliff got on a hattrick when he squared Tom Abel up who pushed at him without moving his feet and Cliff took his outside edge to Jonny Bairstow.
Bowling around the wicket Matty Revis got one to hold its line and take Henry Nicholls edge and Hill at first slip took a fantastic catch in his right hand.
After winning the toss Yorkshire were soon in trouble losing both openers inside 10 overs. Adam Lyth pushed at Gregory and edged him to Nicholls at first slip who caught it in his midriff. On 10 Will Luxton edged a drive off Gregory and the ball went above Abell’s head at second slip and parried the ball to the third man boundary. But he was soon joining Lyth in the hutch. He pulled Pretorius to the square leg boundary and in the next over he drove Gregory to the extra cover boundary. He became Gregory’s second victim when Gregory kissed the edge of his bat.
Sam Whiteman clipped Gregory off his toes to the square leg boundary. He chopped on to Ball, instead of using a straight bat. Josh Wharton turned Gregory to Thomas at mid wicket and called Revis for a single despite Revis hesitating but he couldn’t beat Thomas’ direct hit. Gregory got his third wicket when he yorked Wharton and knocked his off stump out of the ground and made a mess of the other two stumps.
Yorkshire bright spots with the bat were captain Bairstow, who top scored with 79 and Hill, who hit 45 added 83 in 23 overs. Somerset gave Bairstow two lives before he had reached 50. On 27 he edged Ball to James Rew but Rew started his celebration early as he threw the ball up before he took the catch. Then on 44 he cut Jack Leach to Overton at slip but he couldn’t hold on to the chance. To rub salt in Leach’s wounds two balls later he reversed, swept Leach to the third man boundary.
Somerset’s bowling coach Steve Kirby said: “Everybody makes mistakes and no one drops a catch on purpose, it happens. At the end of the day it's what happens from now.”
Bairstow hit two fours off Ball’s sixth over: the first was clipped off his legs to the fine leg boundary and the second three balls later was run down to the third man boundary. After lunch he edged Ball down the legside to the fine leg boundary. He drilled Overton to the extra cover boundary. He drilled Ball to the extra cover boundary.
Bairstow swept Leach to the fine leg boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Hill. He turned Leach off his legs to bring up his fourth Rothesay County Championship fifty of the season, this one came fifty off 74 balls with eight fours.
Hill pulled Ball through mid-on for an all run four. In Ball’s next over Hill drilled him to the extra cover boundary for his best shot of his innings. Pretorius angled one in at Hill which seamed away taking his outside edge and Rew took the catch leaping to his right. He got on an hattrick when Dom Bess moved forward and edged a drive and Rew took a much comfortable catch.
Ball bowling around the wicket took the edge of Kuldeep Yadav’s bat and Rew took his third catch. With only two wickets standing Bairstow put his foot on the gas. He thumped Pretorius straight for a glorious four. In Pretorius’ next over Bairstow blasted him to the mid-wicket boundary to bring up Yorkshire’s 200 and helped the next ball to the fine leg boundary. Turning his attention to Ball he pulled him with contempt to the square leg boundary.
As he lived by the sword he died by the sword as he drove Pretorius to Gregory at deep mid-off. Last man Cliff gently chipped Ball to Thomas at mid wicket.
Kirby added: “I thought we bowled really well this morning and we adapted to the conditions. If we had won the toss we would have batted, it’s not an ideal pitch there are some cracks and it’s going to be tricky batting last.
The character of this team has shown all year that this time is ready for a scrap. Tomorrow is all about partnerships, if we get past the 40 over mark Yorkshire showed that batting gets easier. I think the first hour tomorrow is critical.
I thought that Yorkshire bowled really well and put the ball in the right areas, they got wickets with good balls and we played a couple of indifferent shots.”
Day 2
SOMERSET fought back well on the second day to trail Yorkshire by 134 runs who have three second wickets standing at stumps.
Yorkshire’s Ben Cliff carried on from where he left off on the first day by taking another five wickets to add to his three on the first day to give him 8 for 76. The best figures by a Yorkshire bowler against Somerset since Somerset bowling coach Steve Kirby took 8/80 for Yorkshire at Taunton in 2003.
On the second morning Cliff soon found himself on a hattrick when in his first over of the day he dismissed both James Rew and Lewis Gregory in his first over. With his fourth ball he squared Rew up and took his outside edge to give Jonny Bairstow an easy catch. Gregory tried to turn the next ball to but missed the ball and was on his way to the hutch before umpire Jack Shantry put his finger up.
There was nothing that Jack Leach could do apart from edge a rising ball from Cliff to give Bairstow his third catch of the innings. That ball would have given a higher order batsman problems, never mind a lower order batsman like Leach.
At 86 for eight it looked like Somerset would be dismissed for less than 120 as Overton was joined by Migael Pretorius. Before today Pretorius’ highest score in the Rothesay County Championship this season was 48 at Taunton in August. Today he made 58, his sixth Championship fifty for Somerset, as he and Overton added 90 in 22 overs. A Somerset record ninth wicket partnership against Yorkshire.
Pretorius drove Ben Coad to the extra cover boundary. His innings showed bravery as he was hit twice on his right hand first by Cliff and then George Hill. He flashed hard at Hill and over the outstretched right hand of Dom Bess at third slip on its way to the third man boundary. Two balls later he drove Hill hard to the extra cover boundary.
He punched Matty Revis to the deep mid-wicket boundary. The fifty partnership, which came in 12 overs with Overton, was brought up when he late cut Revis to the third man boundary.
The South African Pretorius drove Cliff to the extra cover boundary to bring up his own fifty from 59 balls with nine fours. Three balls later he drove Cliff straight for another boundary. The partnership was broken when Pretorius top edged Cliff to Hill at first slip who took a chest high catch.
Overton said: “I just let Pretorius do what he can do. He’s been disappointed with the way he’s batted this season. But he is a character and wants to get into a fight.”
The tall rounder returning to Headingley for the first time since he hit Yorkshire out of the Vitality Blast, hit 64 before he was the last man out caught on the long-on boundary. Earlier in the over he drove Cliff over deep mid-wicket for a big six. When he tried repeating the shot he found Kuldeep Yadav.
Overton clipped Cliff off his toes dissecting two fielders on the long leg and square leg. He drove Revis, the man who Overton blasted in that Blast quarter final, to the long-off boundary. He late cut Yadav delicately just wide off Hill’s outstretched left hand on its way to the boundary.
Overton smashed Cliff over long-off to bring up his fifty off 102 balls with six fours and that six. After his performance with the bat he turned his attention to the ball. Soon he had Yorkshire struggling on five for two inside six overs. He bowled Will Luxton through the gate knocking his middle stump out of the ground with the eighth ball of their innings.
In his third over bowling around the wicket he squared Adam Lyth up taking his edge and Henry Nicholls at first slip took a tumbling low catch moving to his right. Wharton was beaten for pace and lost his off stump to Jake Ball.
After the departure of Josh Wharton and a rain break Somerset dried the runs up with Sam Whiteman and Revis adding 19 in15 overs. Ball got one to rise at Revis off a length and Tom Abell at second slip took the catch moving to his right.
On 22 Whiteman survived a strong leg before, appeal from Overton. He cut Ball to the cover and in Ball’s next over he drove him straight for another boundary. He tried to leave one from Gregory, bowling around the wicket, took the face of Whiteman’s bat and Abell took a comfortable catch at second slip. Whiteman batted for 133 minutes for his 35 and faced 98 balls.
After playing and missing at a few balls from Gregory. Bairstow finally connected with one but Archie Vaughan at cover took a fantastic catch diving to his left side.
The one bright spot in Yorkshire;s second innings was a seventh wicket partnership of 74 between Hill, who is unbeaten on 50, and Dom Bess not out 27. Hill was the dominant partner. When he came to the crease Yorkshire were under the cosh at 45 for five but he pulled Gregory for a one bounce four into the East stand. He checkily edged Gregory past the slip cordon to the third man boundary. But the shot of his innings was when he drove Gregory to the cover boundary with a beautiful drive.
Leach’s first over Hill clipped him over mid wicket for a bounce four. He smacked Leach over mid-wicket for a six to bring a much welcomed fifty partnership with Bess. He reached his fifth fifty of the when he punched Leach out to mid-off for a single.
Overton added: “When you look at where we were at 74 for six, a long way behind the game we would have snapped your hands off to be where we are in the game. The pitch has got easier to bat on the softer the ball gets. Hopefully we come back tomorrow and take the four remaining wickets.”
On their record ninth wicket partnership he said: “It’s good but it won’t mean much if we don't win the County Championship. Full credit to the way that they’ve batted, it’s been a bowler's wicket but batters can get runs. I think that with our batting line-up we will chase anything down. At the moment we are in a great position to force a win.”.
Day 3
SOMERSET will enter the final day needing another 214 runs to win with seven second innings left after rain ended the third day early.
They weren’t able to take the four remaining Yorkshire wickets until 2.52 and by then Yorkshire had stretched their lead to 286. George Hill and Dom Bess added another 146 to their partnership as they defied the Somerset attack until the sixth over after lunch when Hill tried to pull Craig Overton but got a top edge to Tom Abell at second slip.
Hill hit 89, still searching for his first Rothesay County championship century of the season. He added 166 for the seventh wicket in 59 overs with Bess. In the morning session he edged Migael Pretorius that just fell short off Abell at second slip and the ball ran to third man boundary to bring up the hundred partnership. The partnership could have been broken when Hill drove Pretorius straight and the bowler got his fingertips on it. He deflected the ball on to the stumps but umpire Richard Kettleborough said not out. Hill glanced Jake Ball to the fine leg boundary to take him into the eighties.
Bess followed his unbeaten 80 against Essex last week with 77 against his old club. On 30 he had his bat knocked out of his hand by a short ball from Somerset captain Lewis Gregory. It was Bess who hit the first aggressive shot of the day when he hammered Gregory to the extra cover boundary. Later he late cut Pretorius to the point boundary.
Bess dabbed Pretorius to third for a single to bring up his second Rothesay Championship fifty in consecutive matches from 130 balls with four fours. He used brute force to hammer Gregory to the extra cover boundary. Bess shaped to drive Pretorius through mid-on but it seamed away and crashed into his off stump.
Hill said: “It should be an interesting day tomorrow. The pitch is getting slower so the seamers have to hit the pitch as hard as possible and bang it in hard to get their rewards. I like batting with Bess and we batted beautifully. The plan was that we kept them out in the field for as long as possible so they would get tired so we ran hard.
I think Somerset are a little bit nervous. They’ve got some good batters to come and we hope to see the back of them as soon as possible. I hope that Overton doesn’t spoil our party again. I am concentrating on winning this game for Yorkshire and
hopefully we can spoil their party tomorrow. Then Nottinghamshire’s party next week.”
The one thing that let Somerset that down in the morning session was their outfielding. After the run out of Matt Revis by Josh Thomas on the first first day and despite numerous attempts the Somerset fielders have failed to hit the stumps.
After getting rid of Hill, Somerset should have mopped the tail up but they didn’t, Yorkshire got another 55 runs in 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav, who’s proving to be a stubborn tailender, hit an unbeaten 23. He edged Gregory to the third man boundary despite Jack Leach’s attempts to stop the boundary.
Ben Coad helped Yadav to add 34 by playing shots like pulling Pretorius to the mid-wicket boundary and then drilling him to the extra cover boundary. He finished the over by glancing Pretorius to the fine leg boundary.
His innings ended when he tried to drive Archie Vaughan through the offside but Vaughan turned one in taking the face of his bat to Thomas at forward short leg. Two balls later Vaughan got his second wicket when Ben Cliff played the same shot as Coad but this time Cliff was bowled.
Needing 287 to win with plenty of time left in the game Somerset lost their first to the third ball of their innings when Thomas feathered Coad, bowling around the wicket, to Bairstow who took a low catch.
Vaughan uppercut Coad over cover to the cover boundary but after that shot he got bogged down and stopped scoring. He faced 39 balls for his 12 before he shoulder arms to Coad and lost his off stump.
Bowling with pace Cliff got one to rise at Tom Lamonby off a length. In Cliff’s next over Lamonby clipped off his legs to the square leg boundary.
Kiwi Henry Nicholls pulled Coad to the square leg boundary and Nicholls looked confident to see Somerset through to stumps but he was beaten by one angled in at him by Revis bowling around the wicket and made a mess of his furniture.
Somerset Head Coach Jason Kerr said: “I’ve got to give Yorkshire credit for the way they played. There’s an exciting day in prospect tomorrow. If we can establish a partnership,we have seen that it’s hard to get a breakthrough on a pitch where you can’t be too expansive. If we get through the first hour we should be alright and there will be opportunities for us to win the game. The dressing room is calm and the players are fully aware of the situation. I am really confident that we can win tomorrow and the confidence in the dressing room is high we need to quieten Yorkshire down and the more we establish a partnership the easier the game will be. But If we don’t get over the line tomorrow there is still a chance to win the Championship next week.”
Day 4
IT took Yorkshire 81 minutes on the final morning to take the seven remaining Somerset wickets as they beat Somerset by 186 runs to dent their title hopes.
Somerset Head Coach Jason Kerr said: “We’re extremely disappointed. We came here today with a belief but the characteristics of day one and day two pitch returned today. I thought both sides bowled really well but once the ball got past 40 overs the characteristics of the pitch changed. Today there was more live in the pitch than you expect for a fourth day. Full credit to their bowlers they put the ball in the right areas and let the ball do the work.
We would have been happier chasing 150 on that pitch but George Hill and Dom Bess batted well on the third day. I think their stand made a huge difference. Chasing 280 on that pitch you have to play extremely well. I still feel that we bowled well and had decisions that went against us. But the opposition are allowed to play well.
We now have to beat Surrey because we can’t control what goes on down the road.”
Yorkshire Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: “It was a really good performance against a very good team and a good advert for the County game. They knew what they had to do, but this morning we were amazing. It showed the resilience of the team and I believe that you can do a lot in the last games of a season that you can take momentum into the next season.
I think that all season our batting has been a concern for us. Our lower order has got us out of trouble on a few occasions. We need to get more runs on the board in the first innings. In this match Hill and Bess got the runs down the order. But I think that the curve is upwards and we want to see where we are at.”
Yorkshire dismissed both overnight batsmen before 11.00 and they were on their back to the hutch within five minutes of each other. Yorkshire got their first wicket of the day after 19 minutes when Ben Cliff squared up Tom Lamonby, who edged it, and Jonny Bairstow took a tumbling catch to his left. Without adding to the score Tom Abell got a leading edge to Ben Coad and the ball looped to Will Luxton at point.
James Rew became Coad’s second victim of the morning when the left hander opened the face of his bat and edged a big drive off Coad and Adam Lyth at second slip took a comfortable catch.
Cliff took his 10th wicket in the match when Graig Overton feathered him to Bairstow. Three balls later Somerset captain Lewis Gregory tried to turn Cliff to leg and was plumb leg before in front of leg. He finished with match figures of 11/115, and McGarth said: “His performance was most pleasing. I am disappointed that he hasn’t played more but you can see the confidence in him. He is going to be a real asset if he bowls like that consistently. We decided that if we play Cliff we must bowl him.”
Miguel Pretorius edged a drive off a quick ball from Hill that rose after it had pitched to Bairstow. Jake Ball stroked his first ball to the cover boundary, in the next over he smacked Coad to the long-off boundary. That was that for Coad as Matty Revis replaced him at the Kirkstall lane end and with his second ball he yorked Ball.