Harry Brook has reached his maiden first-class century off 129 balls as Yorkshire turn the screw at Chelmsford. They are currently 255-3, leading by 163. Maybe a sign of things to come that his partner at the crease is Joe Root. I wouldn’t mind betting that they bat together a lot for England across the years.
Joe Root is in following the departure of Che Pujara, who isn’t half battling at the moment. Pujara was bowled by Peter Siddle for 41 having not offered a stroke. And it wasn’t just clipping off-stump either. Root survived a sizeable caught behind shout from Siddle before getting off the mark with his seventh ball. He is currently unbeaten on four, with Yorkshire 197-3 and leading by 95. Harry Brook has moved to 70.
It has been a quiet start to day at Chelmsford as Yorkshire steadily advance to 177 for 2, a lead of 85. I reckon we may have already had three, maybe four, wickets by this time yesterday. Che Pujara has driven Jamie Porter down the ground for four and has 35. Peter Siddle had a big caught behind shout against the Indian in the first over turned down.
Preamble
Good morning from a sunny Chelmsford. I have to say I’m still trying to get my head around yesterday’s events. For two sessions, it was carnage as batsmen floundered amid a series of loose shots and bowlers prospered by just hitting an area to coin a players’ cliche. Then, after tea, Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook both played aggressively to change the momentum of the contest and swing it in Yorkshire’s favour.
Bairstow hit 50 and Brook 57 unbeaten. The decision to open with Bairstow second time around could be the game changer when all is said and done, and he played in typically combative fashion, hitting Sam Cook superbly over long-off for six. Brook, the current England under 19s captain, then attacked the spin of Simon Harmer - playing spin is a particularly strength of his - on the way to his maiden first-team fifty. Yorkshire will begin day two on 161/2 in their second innings, leading by 69 with India overseas batsman Che Pujara on 22 alongside Brook.
Elsewhere in Division One, leaders Somerset hold the advantage at Old Trafford thanks to centuries from George Bartlett and Marcus Trescothick, the latter who suffered a broken metatarsal and faces a stretch on the sidelines. They will resume on 321/5.
At Trent Bridge, Hampshire are 70/3 in reply to Notts’ 302, with Stuart Broad having taken two early wickets. Hashim Amla is unbeaten on 27 against his former county. At the Oval, Rory ‘how is he not in England contention?’ Burns will resume on 137 with Surrey at 278/4 against Worcestershire.
In Division Two, they’re into day three at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire have a firm grip on their clash with Derbyshire - 375/6 in reply to 318. Will Rhodes, Chris Wright, Jonathan Trott and Matt Lamb have all posted fifties. Lamb is 79 not out and targeting a maiden career hundred this morning. Leicestershire have started positively against Durham at the Riverside, reaching close on day one at 301/4, with fifties for Carberry, Horton and Cosgrove.
It was an opening day not too dissimilar to Chelmsford down at Sophia Gardens Cardiff, where Glamorgan were bowled out for 94 thanks to Darren Stevens and Matt Henry, who claimed six and four wickets respectively, before Kent responded with 163/9. Timm van der Gugten matched Stevens with six-for.
And finally at Hove, former Yorkshire seamer Oliver Robinson, sacked by the White Rose and Jason Gillespie for a series of misdemeanours a few years back, including turning up at the wrong ground for a second-team game, claimed 7-58 for Sussex against Middlesex as they bowled them out for 230. Sussex were 60-4 in reply.
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