Match Report: Yorkshire v Essex

 

Yorkshire v Essex

Rothesay County Championship
York Cricket Club, York
Sunday 29 June – Wednesday 02 July 2025 | 11am start

 

Team News

Hampshire: Adam Lyth, Finlay Bean, James Wharton, Abdullah Shafique, Jonny Bairstow (c & wk), Matthew Revis, George Hill, Will Sutherland, Dom Bess, Jack White, Ben Coad.

Essex: Dean Elgar, Paul Walter, Tom Westley (c), Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Michael Pepper (wk), Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Khaleel Ahmed

Match Details

Umpires: Michael Gough & Peter Hartley
Match Referee: Will Smith
Toss: Essex won the toss and chose to bat first

Day Four Highlights

Day Four Report

Yorkshire completed a notable come-from behind victory over fellow Rothesay County Championship strugglers Essex after tea on day four at York to leapfrog them in the Division One table at the end of the ninth round.

Essex are now second-bottom in the table, three points behind their hosts, who chased a nominal target of 41 to win by 10 wickets and secure their second win of the summer.

Essex’s third defeat came as they were bowled out for 131 in their second innings, which had started with them 91 behind. They will be mightily frustrated at letting things slip on day three when Yorkshire were 273 for eight in reply to a first-innings 368.

While Matthew Revis and Ben Coad were the ones who turned the tide for Yorkshire, new-ball seamer Jack White supplemented their good work with an excellent four for 37 from 20.1 overs in the second innings and seven wickets in the match.

All-rounder Revis hit a first-innings 150 and struck once with the ball today, removing England fringe batter Jordan Cox for 55. Seamer Coad hit a career best 89 and completed an excellent three for 33 from 17 overs.

Yorkshire struck three times during a 55-minute morning session which was bookended by rain. Coad and new-ball partner White did the damage as Essex slipped to 48 for six in 28 overs. The visitors had started on 33 for three.

Nightwatchman Simon Harmer sliced a low catch to Abdullah Shafique diving forwards at gully, handing Coad a third wicket of the innings, before White trapped Matt Critchley lbw pushing forwards and sent Charlie Allison’s off-stump cartwheeling.

Critchley was one of the chief protagonists in denying Yorkshire a fourth-day victory at Chelmsford in May with a rearguard 75. Here, he failed to score as the visitors came under increasing pressure.

Play was due to restart following an early lunch at 1.25pm, though more rain briefly delayed things as the players scuttled back in when ready to go.

When play did get underway, with a minimum of 68 overs remaining and Essex 48 for six, Cox and Michael Pepper frustrated the hosts by sharing 59 to take their county into the lead.

Wicketkeeper-batter Pepper had combined with Critchley in that aforementioned May fixture to bat through the vast majority of the first two sessions of day four, contributing a dogged 68.

And similar determination was required in the Minster City for Essex side who, when all was said and done, were hurt badly by the absence of bowling spearheads Sam Cook (England Test duty) and Jamie Porter (paternity leave).

It was somewhat of a surprise to see Cox drive expansively against Matthew Revis’s seam, getting an under-edge behind shortly after reaching his fifty off 89 balls. That left Essex at 107 for seven, leading by 16.

And it was bordering on shock when Pepper edged behind a similarly aggressive cut against White almost seven overs later, leaving Essex at 114 for eight with a lead of 23.

Dom Bess’s off-spin bowled Noah Thain shortly afterwards before White wrapped things up by getting Khaleel Ahmed caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, signalling tea.

After the break, Yorkshire dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on a 20-point haul to jump up to eighth in the table.

Openers Lyth and Fin Bean, the latter on his home ground, reached the target in nine overs. Lyth finished with 15 and Bean 18.

Day Three Highlights

Day Three Report

Centurion Matthew Revis and Ben Coad combined to a post a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership of 169 and fashion a Yorkshire day three turnaround to give themselves hope of a Rothesay County Championship victory against Essex at York.

Second-bottom Yorkshire and Essex just above them in the Division One table were separated by 14 points ahead of a ninth-round fixture which had advanced to the White Rose county starting this day’s play on 143 for three in reply to a first-innings 368.

Shane Snater’s seam helped reduce the hosts to 273 for eight after lunch, claiming three more wickets to add to a solitary strike on day two. Yorkshire were 95 behind at that stage.

However, things changed dramatically as all-rounder Revis and new-ball seamer Coad positively scored runs at will against an increasingly ragged Essex attack. Both men posted career best scores, Revis with 150 off 187 balls and Coad 89 off 110 in a 459 all out total.

Essex started their second innings with 16 overs remaining in the day, trailing by 91, and closed on 33 for three. Coad struck twice with the new ball.

Revis and Coad united for the best part of 33 overs to amass the highest ever ninth-wicket partnership for any county against Essex in a first-class match.

Essex struck three times during a morning which had started with Yorkshire on 143 for three, with Adam Lyth on 65 and captain Jonny Bairstow on 14.

Bairstow was involved in an engaging battle with Indian overseas left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed on a pitch which remains placid.

The former cut two boundaries before falling caught behind for 29 when trying to uppercut another, leaving the hosts 169 for four after 61 overs – the seventh of the day.

Lyth batted with a calf injury picked up during the latter stages of day two and edged behind a checked drive against Snater on 84, passing 14,000 career runs in the Championship in the process.

That was the first of two wickets for the Dutch international in as many overs with the new ball as Yorkshire fell to 228 for six in the 84th over, with George Hill trapped lbw on the back pad pushing forwards.

After lunch, Simon Harmer’s off-spin ousted Will Sutherland lbw before Dom Bess was caught behind down the leg-side, handing Snater a fourth wicket and leaving Yorkshire eight down, 95 behind and in some trouble.

Sandwiched in between the seventh and eighth wickets, Revis reached his fifty off 89 balls – his second in as many innings after 93 not out against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last week.

What came next, few would have predicted.

Revis and Coad pinched a second batting point and denied Essex a third bowling point.

Revis played confidently through the off-side off front foot and back against seam and spin, later heaving two huge leg-side sixes off Noah Thain’s seam.

Coad hoisted two sixes off spin over long-on and straight in reaching his fifty off 69 balls.

Yorkshire had secured a lead of two by the time they reached tea at 370 for eight, with Revis unbeaten on 94 and Coad celebrating his second career fifty – and his second against Essex after 69 at Headingley in a 2022 defeat.

Revis reached his ton, off 151 balls, inside the opening 10 minutes of the evening and later his maiden 150 off 185 as Essex struggled to finish off the tail – something they have struggled with all summer.

Coad was understandably frustrated when bowled by Matt Critchley’s leg-spin, 11 runs short of what would have been a maiden century. And Revis then holed out to long-on against the same bowler.

That left Yorkshire with an hour’s bowling against an Essex top order now under unexpected pressure.

And that pressure only mounted as Coad continued to influence proceedings.

He removed Paul Walter and Tom Westley for ducks as Essex’s second innings slipped to six for two, the former trapped lbw and the latter another batter to be caught behind down leg.

And when Hill bowled Dean Elgar with a beauty late in the day, Essex were 28 for three.

Day Two Highlights

Day Two Report

The Rothesay County Championship clash between Division One strugglers Yorkshire and Essex is nicely poised at its midway point after an engaging day two at York.

The opening day was a slow-burner which saw Essex close on 248 for three.

But things were different upon the resumption this morning, with Yorkshire claiming the last seven Essex wickets for 95 on a placid Clifton Park pitch, bowling the visitors out for 368 during the early stages of the afternoon.

Yorkshire then closed on 143 for three from 54 overs, including opener Adam Lyth’s 65 not out off 172 balls. They trail by 225.

This was a tireless display from a Yorkshire bowling unit who gained little reward on day one, with new-ball seamer Jack White returning three for 68 from 27 overs.

He, alongside George Hill and Dom Bess, struck twice during the first half of day two, while Noah Thain compiled an unbeaten 50 not out off 81 balls.

Thain was then one of Essex’s three wicket-takers before close via his seamers, alongside Shane Snater and Simon Harmer. Like Yorkshire’s bowlers had done, Essex’s bowlers also stuck to their task well in difficult conditions.

Essex’s innings was a curious affair, highlighted by the fact they batted through 110 overs on a pitch lacking pace for 278 for six and only one batting bonus point. They really did seem to get stuck between a rock and hard place today. Unable to attack whilst being unable to survive.

While Yorkshire didn’t race away in their reply, they started more positively than Essex had batted. Lyth drove particularly well.

The White Rose county struck three times in five overs for the addition of only three runs just before midday as Essex slipped from 273 for three in the 104th over to 276 for six in the 109th. With it, Yorkshire secured a second bowling point.

Hill claimed two of those wickets, with England fringe batter Jordan Cox caught behind for 33 playing off the back foot and Charlie Allison caught slicing to point.

Thain shared a seventh-wicket 56 with Michael Pepper through until early afternoon and reached his fifty off the last ball that he faced, with the last four wickets falling for 36.

Off-spinner Bess picked up two of those. He had Harmer caught at slip and Snater caught at long-on.

Yorkshire openers Fin Bean and Lyth then started their reply confidently either side of the tea break, sharing 81 on a pitch lacking pace.

Both men pulled confidently, with Bean looking a completely different player to the one who had posted a top-score of only 31 in the first seven games.

An impressive 224 on a similarly slow pitch against leaders Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge has done wonders for his confidence.

It will, therefore, have been a major frustration to him that he couldn’t go on beyond 31 here as, after tea, he was caught behind down leg off Snater’s seam in the 27th over.

James Wharton then drilled Harmer’s off-spin to mid-on having advanced down the pitch looking to hit over the top – 110 for two in the 34th over.

One man who did go on was Lyth. Sandwiched in between the two wickets, he reached 50 for the seventh time this season, this one off 110 balls.

But the fixture’s fourth leg-side strangle did for Pakistani overseas debutant Abdullah Shafique for four as Thain left Yorkshire at 125 for three in the 41st over. Pepper took a brilliant one-handed catch going to his left.

Survival was the main aim for Lyth and Jonny Bairstow late on. The former was stuck on 63 from the 39th over until the day’s last. He navigated the threat of Harmer, who was excellent for one for 18 from 15 overs.

Early morning wickets on day three will put eighth-placed Essex in a strong position, whereas second-bottom Yorkshire will know batting big is imperative for their own victory hopes.

Day One Highlights

Day One Report

Captain Tom Westley’s determined 107 represented his second successive century in the Rothesay County Championship as his Essex side enjoyed a healthy but not dominant day one against relegation rivals Yorkshire at York.

Former South Africa Test captain Dean Elgar fell narrowly short of scoring his first century of the season, falling for an opening 94 off 248 balls late on during an attritional day which Essex closed on 248 for three from 96 overs.

Westley, who hit 12 fours in 239 balls, shared 198 for the second wicket with left-handed Elgar from early morning to late evening.

The pair came together with the score on 24 during the opening exchanges of a Division One clash which had started with Westley opting to bat first on a glorious Minster City day.

Yorkshire and Essex came into contest separated by 14 points in the table, the former occupying ninth place – the second relegation spot ahead of Worcestershire – and the latter in eighth.

Elgar will be mightily frustrated at not batting through the entire day, while Westley has had quite the week. Both fell against the second new ball to seamers Will Sutherland and Ben Coad.

This Westley innings coming hot on the heels of his 130 not out on the final day against Hampshire at Chelmsford on Wednesday, helping to secure a draw when a defeat had been a distinct possibility at the start of the day.

Both sides handed debuts to a trio of overseas players between them.

Australian all-rounder Sutherland and Pakistani batter Abdullah Shafique are playing only one match apiece for Yorkshire, with Indian seamer Khaleel Ahmed starting his half-season stint with Essex.

Essex enjoyed much the better of the morning, despite losing opener Paul Walter caught at second slip off a leading edge as he looked to whip Jack White to leg in the 10th over.

Elgar’s first of 11 boundaries was beautifully pushed down the ground off George Hill’s bowling and later reached his fifty off 116 balls – in the same over which saw Westley get to the same milestone off 90.

By that stage, Essex were 117 for one in the 39th.

Westley was the more aggressive of the two batters, though neither were able to cut loose from a Yorkshire bowling attack who kept things tight with the Kookaburra ball and kicked the door ajar late on.

Aside from a lack of wickets, there weren’t a plethora of chances created by Yorkshire’s bowlers, who had to deal with a lack of movement and pace in the pitch.

The one obvious one that did arrive, Adam Lyth was unable to hold on at slip off Dom Bess’s off-spin with Elgar on 69 shortly before tea, where Essex reached at 164 for one from 64 overs.

The day’s first of only five extras came at the start of the 67th over, a leg bye as Bess bowled to Elgar. That indicated the discipline from Yorkshire’s bowling attack.

The hope is that the pitch will break up as the contest goes on to bring the likes of Bess and Essex’s off-spinner Simon Harmer more into things.

If not, supporters and players alike could be in for a long four days.

When Westley, who was classy on the drive, reached his latest century off 227 balls, Essex were 206 for one in the 83rd over, the new ball now in operation.

However, both fell in successive overs as Essex fell from 222 for one to 226 for three in the 87th.

Westley was trapped lbw playing back against Coad before pulling Elgar was caught behind one-handed down leg by Bairstow off Sutherland.

Batter Jordan Cox will begin day two unbeaten on 13.

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