Spin and big hits put Yorkshire in dominant position

“FANCY a coffee, Fred?” said one elderly spectator to another at Headingley.

“Did you say a coffee or a coffin?” his companion replied, with no hesitation and deadpan delivery.

A walk around the ground at teatime is rarely in vain, especially for those in the market for an intro, with that overheard dialogue perhaps appropriate given the average age of the usual Championship crowd.

This game, in fact, has been a throwback to the youthful days of some of those present, with Yorkshire

playing two specialist spinners on a used pitch – a tactic that had served them well at the game’s midway point.

Indeed, by the time that Fred and his pal sloped off to the pub or the nearest crypt, Yorkshire were 2952 at stumps on day two, replying to Glamorgan’s first innings 221, and well-placed to force their first win of the season.

For that they had, first, spinners Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty to thank, who took four wickets each, and then, primarily, Fin Bean (140) and Joe Root (92), who shared an unbroken 201 as the hosts rattled along at six runs-an-over before bad light pickpocketed the last 12 overs.

Bess, 26, is too good a player for the second team circuit and, on his first Championship appearance of the campaign, he showed why with figures of 4-25 from 13 overs.

Having had Kiran Carlson caughtand-bowled with his first ball on day one, Bess struck with his second delivery on day two, trapping Colin Ingram lbw playing back, before having Thomas Bevan caught at shortleg and Jamie McIllroy taken at backwardsquare.

Moriarty, 25, who removed Billy Root on the first day, caught at short-leg, returned to have Chris Cooke cutting to cover and then James Harris held at shortleg and Mir Hamza caught behind.

It was splendid stuff by the Yorkshire

spin twins, Glamorgan losing their last five wickets for 39 runs – including their last four for just 13 runs – after they had started the day on 109-4.

That day was another cloudy affair with the floodlights beaming down, but after Glamorgan had moved somewhat threateningly to 162-4, with Colin Ingram and Cooke having added 65, they lost their way badly as Bess and Moriarty ripped through the line-up before their bowlers were ruthlessly put to the sword.

It was like a one-day game at times as Yorkshire scored so rapidly and fluently, including the two batsmen dismissed, Adam Lyth and Shan Masood, who were lbw and caught at short-leg respectively.

Spare a thought for poor Mason Crane, the former England leg-spinner, who, despite getting Masood, saw his first five overs disappear for 53, with Root, especially, putting away a number of freebies (as if he needs those...).

Bean twice lofted Crane for legside sixes as he advanced to his hundred, the fourth of his first-class career, reached from 111 balls with his 17th four, a flowing cover-drive off Harris.

The 22-year-old’s feat was warmly applauded by the spectators present; hopefully it didn’t cause Fred and his mate to drop their coffee.