Close Day Two: Derbyshire v Yorkshire, Vitality CC – Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Scorecard 

Jonny Tattersall closed in on a first century of the season and James Wharton amassed a superb 188 as Yorkshire strengthened their grip over Derbyshire during a rain-affected day two at Chesterfield.

Yorkshire advanced their first-innings reply to Derbyshire’s 76 all out from 283-5 in 58 overs overnight to 416-6 from 93.1 when play was halted for a second time at 1.50pm. Tattersall was unbeaten on 93 off 151 balls, including 11 boundaries.

The visitors lead stretched to 340, with Tattersall and Wharton completing a sixth-wicket stand of 241 – a sixth-wicket record for Yorkshire in first-class matches against Derbyshire.

Only 35.1 overs were bowled through a day which was brought to a close just before 4.30pm by umpires Neil Pratt and Sue Redfern.

Yorkshire are firmly on course to secure back-to-back wins in the Vitality County Championship having beaten Gloucestershire at Scarborough last week.

Tattersall started the day on 41 and Wharton on 116.

They were faced with a near full session of spin bowling given Derbyshire were forced into remedial work on a slow over-rate. They were minus five at the start of the day, with counties docked a point for each over they are behind the rate at the end of the match.

Wharton hit six sixes in all in his 241-ball effort with 23 fours. Four of those sixes came today – all against spin. Three of them were hoisted over mid-wicket and long-on and the other lofted over long-off.

He reached his 150 off 180 balls, by which time fluent Tattersall had reached his fifty off 87.

Both men were strong on both sides of the wicket, particularly so through mid-wicket and wide long-on. 

The previous highest sixth-wicket partnership for Yorkshire against Derbyshire was 178 between Emmott Robinson and Cecil Burton at Hull in 1921.

Today, Yorkshire sealed their second, third and fourth batting bonus points, which could be crucial in the final reckoning for a side whose promotion push has really sparked into life across the last fortnight. 

Picture by John Heald. Jonny Tattersall acknowledges the applause upon reaching 50 today. 

Unfortunately, Wharton missed out on a double hundred as he edged South African seamer Daryn Dupavillon to second slip, just after lunch, which was brought forwards because of the first rain shower at 12.30pm. 

Wharton’s departure against the new ball left the visitors at 406-6 in the 92nd over. Jordan Thompson came and hit his first two balls for four off Dupavillon, through mid-wicket and long-off. But rain returned just before 2pm.

Yorkshire first port of call tomorrow morning will be to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a fifth batting point. They need only 34 in 16.5 overs to achieve that.

Then, they may well opt to get bowling as quickly as possible in order to win the game and avoid the risk of further rain scuppering their chances.