Joe Root and Harry Brook score hundreds as Yorkshire seek first win of season
Joe Root’s first hundred of the season and Harry Brook’s second was good news for England, but Yorkshire are still in a fight to win their first match of the summer in division two.
Root stroked a classy 119 off 190 balls and Brook an unbeaten and much more aggressive 126 from 135 balls as the England pair put on 201 for the fourth wicket before Yorkshire declared on 450 against Derbyshire at Headingley.
After one defeat and two draws in their opening three championship matches, Yorkshire are in need of a victory as they look for promotion from division two and move on from one of the most difficult periods in their long history.
It had been hoped the presence of Root and Brook would galvanise Yorkshire but it has not equated to victories so far and after fighting their way to a good position against Derbyshire, they were frustrated by Wayne Madsen, who defied the pain of a hand injury to put on an unbroken 167 for the fourth wicket with Brooke Guest, who added 74. Derbyshire closed day two on 190 for three, after slumping to 23 for three against the new ball.
Brook was dominant throughout his innings striking 17 fours and two sixes, while Root started slowly on before unfurling his trademark shots through backward point. Root hit nine fours on his way to his hundred. Although not at his best, he did pull out the reverse ramp, the shot which brought so much criticism when it backfired against India in Rajkot. This time it paid dividends, seamer Zak Chappell hit for six over third man shortly after Root reached his century off 163 balls, his first for Yorkshire since May 2022 and his 10th overall for his county in first-class cricket.
Brook’s ninth hundred for Yorkshire was celebrated with a glance to the heavens, recognition of his grandmother Pauline, who died just before the start of the season. Brook missed the tour to India and the IPL to spend time with his grandmother, who was such a strong influence in his life, after she was diagnosed with cancer. His last century came against Leicestershire here in the opening round of this season. He reached his latest off 102 balls, and - having achieved that - he pulled Luis Reece’s left-arm seam for six over backward square-leg.
Both will of course face stronger attacks this season than Derbyshire’s and while the schedule is rightly criticised for too many games in April, it does give supporters a chance to watch Test stars like Root and Brook, who lift the whole competition.
Matt Fisher, who was awarded a fast bowling contract by England last summer and has an outside chance of a Test call up, started expertly with the ball, striking twice in a six-over opening spell. But Madsen showed no obvious sign of discomfort front he hand injury he sustained dropping a catch on day one, during a battling innings took valuable time out of the game with poor weather forecast for Sunday.
In division one, Surrey captain Rory Burns put his team in a strong position against Hampshire and once again underlined their credentials to win a third championship in a row. After bowling Hampshire out on a green pitch on day one at the Oval for just 151, Surrey were in trouble themselves at 44 for four but Burns dug in and showed the fighting qualities that earned him England recognition.
His painstaking 113 from 256 balls turned the match in Surrey’s favour, and allowed Jordan Clark to come in later and play some bullish strokes in a superb 102 ball 106, the pair putting on 98 for the eighth wicket. Surrey made 359 and reduced Hampshire to 31 for two in their second innings, 177 runs behind.
Burns stood tall against a strong Hampshire seam attack led by Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas and scored his first hundred at the Oval for two years, batting for 42 minutes in total.
Ben Duckett scored the eighth double century of the county season, converting his overnight 197 to 218 but rain curtailed play at Edgbaston with Warwickshire 71 for three against Nottinghamshire.
