Brook shows England form as Bears battle
HARRY Brook reaffirmed his England credentials with 82 as Yorkshire responded strongly to Warwickshire’s first-innings 244 during day two at Headingley.
Yorkshire, for whom opener Adam Lyth scored 118 not out, reached the halfway stage of this LV= Insurance County Championship fixture in control at 269 for four from 91 overs.
Brook, called up to England’s squad for the start of next month’s Test series against New Zealand earlier this week, recorded his eighth score of 50 or more in nine innings this season and is now the leading scorer in Division One with 840 runs at a remarkable average of 140.
The fourth-wicket pair shared 157 either side of tea after Yorkshire had started the day on 28 without loss from 12 overs. Joe Root made just eight during a day ended 17 overs early by rain.
Brook and Lyth had to be in watchful mood at the start of their respective innings against the champions’ testing attack, however, they found fluency after tea.
Rain meant only 18.5 overs were possible during a quiet second morning, which included the wicket of opener George Hill for 25. His innings ended when he aimed a half-hearted cut at Henry Brookes in the fifth over of the day as Yorkshire fell to 33 for one in the 17th.
Will Fraine played in a similar fashion to Hill on the way to 31. He hit all of his four boundaries shortly after lunch, including two eye-catching cover drives off successive balls against Australian overseas seamer Nathan Mcandrew. However, he fell
caught behind down leg off the canny medium pace of visiting captain Will Rhodes as the score fell to 82 for two in the 40th over.
Further success was to follow when Root was enticed into a drive at a swinging delivery from impressive quick Brookes, whose second wicket left Yorkshire at 109 for three in the 47th and brought the game back into the balance. It was tricky early on for
Brook and Lyth as the Bears bowled well. On another day, they would have had more success.
Had they broken through again quickly, the game could have headed in a different direction.
But Lyth dug in and reached his fifty off 161 balls, by which time the score was 126 for three in the 55th over of the innings. That score became 167 for three after 68 at tea.
Then came more fluency for the England players past and future.
Brook, 30 at tea, pulled the first ball of the evening through square leg for four and reached his half-century with a guided four off Danny Briggs’ left-arm spin as he changed gears. By that time, Yorkshire were 199 for three and closing in on a lead. Lyth’s first hundred of the summer came up in 267 balls – 234 for three in the 85th and now batting against the new ball.
Brook then fell to a smart Rob Yates catch at first slip off Oliver Hannondalby, eight balls before the rain returned to end the day. That left Yorkshire 266 for four in the 90th over.
“That’s probably the best we’ve bowled for a long time as a unit,’’ said Rhodes. “It was a tough middle session under lights and we beat the bat a lot. But that’s the game.
“We knew their top order would get the bulk of the runs. There’s a lot of inexperience in their lower order. Hopefully we can capitalise on that.
“We don’t think we’re out of this game at all. We showed last year we were behind in a lot of games and came back to win them. There’s no reason why we can’t do it again.”
There’s a lot of inexperience in their lower order. Hopefully we can capitalise. We don’t think we’re out of this game at all. Will Rhodes