Burgess keeps Bears in hunt
MICHAEL Burgess crashed 96 and produced another masterclass at batting with the tail to keep Warwickshire afloat - but Yorkshire’s depleted attack enjoyed much the better of day one at Headingley.
In this sixth round LV= Insurance County Championship fixture, the last before the break for T20, Yorkshire were led by three wickets apiece for Jordan Thompson and Steve Patterson as the Bears were bowled out for 244 inside 82 overs after winning the toss.
Had it not been for wicketkeeper Burgess, however, things would have been much worse for Warwickshire against a home attack missing quicks Ben Coad, Matt Fisher, Dom Leech and Haris Rauf through a variety of ailments.
Burgess, who hit 14 fours and a six in 106 balls, had already shared in tenthwicket partnerships of 132 and 64 in posting centuries against Surrey and Essex this season, and here added 41 with last man Oliver Hannon-dalby, who did not score.
Yorkshire later closed on 28 without loss from 12 overs in reply.
For Yorkshire to perform like this having lost their first toss of the season was a significant triumph given the aforementioned absentees, including Pakistan overseas quick Rauf through a late illness.
Balls from the new batch of Dukes were used and of course helped them during an opening day which started under an overcast sky before sunshine broke through just prior to lunch.
Without it being excessive, there was more assistance on offer than at any other stage of the opening two games here - draws against Kent and Lancashire.
Warwickshire certainly gave their hosts a leg up. Yorkshire’s catching has blighted
them all summer, and they dropped three more - Sam Hain, Rob Yates and Will Rhodes. But none of the batters were able to add to their scores when dropped.
Yorkshire struck four times inside 21 overs, with two for Patterson sandwiched in between one apiece for new ball pair Thompson and Matthew Revis.
Thompson made the breakthrough in the 11th over when Alex Davies edged to England Test new boy Harry Brook at third slip for 19, leaving the score at 28 for one.
Dom Sibley was then trapped lbw by Patterson in the next over for nine, without further addition to the scoreboard.
Patterson struck again in the 18th - 41 for three when Yates was caught behind by Harry Duke - before the champions slipped to 43 for four in the 21st when Hain nibbled at a back of a length delivery from Revis and was caught at first slip by Joe Root at the second attempt.
The former England captain did remarkably well to maintain concentration amidst interference from wicketkeeper Duke, who himself had initially gone for the catch.
Matt Lamb batted with a flourish for 45 either side of lunch as he and Rhodes shared an important 74 to lay some sort of foundation.
However, Lamb was the second wicket to go to Revis when he edged a loose drive to Root at first slip - 117 for five in the 47th over, after lunch.
Rhodes, on 29 and against his former county, offered Adam Lyth his second chance at second slip, off Tom Loten’s bowling, only to mistime a drive almost immediately towards cover where Brook took a one-handed catch over his head as the score fell to 137 for six in the 52nd over.
Thompson added two more wickets either side of tea, Danny Briggs bowled shouldering arms and Nathan Mcandrew caught at second slip by Lyth (188 for eight) in the 69th.
And when Henry Brookes skewed the impressive Loten to backward point, Warwickshire were 203 for nine in the 74th over.
Burgess came to the crease with the score at 117 for five, so scored 96 of the remaining 127 runs.
He took all the strike from Hannondalby, often hit to leg and clattered Loten over midwicket for his only six.
Burgess said afterwards: “You speak about Headingley and it’s ‘Look up and not down.’ Luckily, I was able to bat in the sun. The pitch is a good cricket wicket. When the overheads were in, it looked like a tough deck to bat on. Then it got easier throughout the day.
“It’s a bit of cliche, but you have to see both teams bat on it before deciding what par is. I feel we’re definitely in the game. If we have a bit of luck and there’s overheads, it could be a good time to bowl. 250 might be enough.”