Lyth in the runs but centuries remain elusive (From The Northern Echo)

Lyth in the runs but centuries remain elusive

10:29am Thursday 22nd July 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

ADAM LYTH has already become the first batsmen in the country to reach 1,000 county championship runs this season, but he is showing no signs of slowing down yet.

Once more, the 23-year-old was in imperious form for Yorkshire, reaching his 11th half-century of the season yesterday as the White Rose fought back on day two of their clash with Essex.

His innings of 75 helped them to 227 for five at the close, 172 runs behind their host’s first-innings total.

“He has played superbly all season,” said captain Andrew Gale.

“It was a bit disappointing that he did not go on to get a really big score, but that is being ultra-critical.”

Lyth’s inability to reach three-figures is the only frustrating aspect of his game at the moment.

A remarkable thing to say of someone who already has 1,142 runs, but his dismissal at the County Ground was the seventh time this season that he has been out within 25 runs of a century.

His innings was still vital to Yorkshire’s performance at Chelmsford, which leaves the game intriguingly poised at the mid-way point.

First of all, it was Adil Rashid who excelled on a hot East Anglian day.

He picked up three-early wickets to help make sure the home side collapsed from 353 for six overnight, to 399 all out.

It meant the in-form leg spinner finished with seasonbest figures of five for 87 and the theme of Yorkshire being on top had been set for much of the day.

Certainly, the start Jacques Rudoph and Lyth made with the bat suggested Yorkshire knew they had some momentum.

The two of them raced to 81 before the sizeable home crowd had something to cheer about, when Rudolph nudged a short Andy Carter delivery to Alastair Cook at first slip for 32.

Anthony McGrath then quickly came and went for only 11, but Lyth continued to punish the Essex attack until he was surprisingly clean bowled around the legs by Chris White.

His wicket was one of three to fall in the final session to take the gloss off a good performance for Yorkshire, with Jonathan Bairstow, who made 18, and Andrew Gale, who fell for 47, also back in the pavilion.

Fortunately, Gerard Brophy, who is not out on 25, and Tim Bresnan, who is unbeaten on 3, made sure the home side would have no more success.

Scoreboard

Essex v Yorkshire At Chelmsford

Overnight: Essex 353-6 (R S Bopara 142, J S Foster 61).

Essex First Innings

G W Flower c McGrath b A Rashid ......5

T J Phillips b A Rashid .....................30

C J Wright not out ...........................13

M A Chambers b Best .......................0

A Carter c Hannon-Dalby b A Rashid .8

Extras (b10 lb6 w8 nb2 pens 0)26

Total (116.5 overs)...............399

Fall: 1-97 2-97 3-120 4-200 5-324 6- 336 7-368 8-381 9-386

Bowling: Bresnan 28-8-73-0. Best 16-1- 63-2. Patterson 23-5-89-2. A U Rashid 25.5-7-87-5. Hannon-Dalby 14-3-54-1. Mc- Grath 10-4-17-0.

Yorkshire First Innings Close

A Lyth b Wright ...............................75

J A Rudolph c Cook b Carter ............32

A McGrath c Mickleburgh b Phillips .11

A W Gale c Foster b Westley .............47

J M Bairstow b Phillips .....................18

G L Brophy not out .........................25

T T Bresnan not out ..........................3

Extras (lb6 nb10 pens 0) .........16

Total 5 wkts (76 overs)........227

Fall: 1-81 2-104 3-146 4-177 5-215

To Bat: A U Rashid, S A Patterson, T L Best, O J Hannon-Dalby.

Bonus Pts: Essex 4 Yorkshire 3

Bowling: Chambers 11-4-27-0. Wright 12- 3-45-1. Phillips 29-7-72-2. Westley 9-2-16- 1. Carter 13-0-48-1. G W Flower 2-0-13-0.