Picture by Harry Trump/Getty Images. Joe Root at the crease for Yorkshire in their recent win over Somerset at Taunton.
Joe Root is relishing the prospect of returning to Yorkshire’s line-up for the blockbuster clash with Surrey at Headingley, starting tomorrow (11am).
Yorkshire’s sixth game of the Rothesay County Championship summer is the last before the competition breaks because of the early stages of the Vitality Blast.
It promises to be a cracker-jack affair full of star names.
Harry Brook, for example, Root and Jhye Richardson are all current Test Match players in Yorkshire’s line-up. For Surrey, England duo Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope are likely to feature as well.
And that’s just to name a few.
“It’s always a big game against Surrey,” said Root, who returns to Yorkshire’s team for his third appearance of the season – this one after a week’s rest.
“I love playing against Surrey. I’ll be desperate to beat them.
“There are a lot of international players who will be involved on both sides, a lot of experience. That will make for a great spectacle, and it should be a good one for everyone to watch. It will be great to play in.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Australian overseas quick Jhye Richardson will play his last game of 2026 for Yorkshire this weekend.
Yorkshire return home aiming to bounce back from their 377-run defeat against Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Monday, their second defeat in five matches added to a win and two draws. They sit eighth in the 10-team table on 48 points.
Surrey, meanwhile, are third having won one and drawn four. They sit on 72 points, eight behind leaders Nottinghamshire, the reigning champions.
On this game, Root went on: “You want to play against the best and you want to test yourself against the best, whether that’s because myself and Harry are preparing for a Test summer or whether it’s just because we’re in the crux of the County Championship season and we’re desperate to help the boys win.
“For us, it’s really important that we put in a performance like we did against Somerset because I believe that can challenge anyone.
“If we play like that and manage the game like we did, this team can really challenge in this league.
“The knack is – and the way you get to be one of those top teams – is to repeat performances. It’s not like once in a blue moon. That’s the template and how it should be in every session of every game.
“You can’t have that dodgy hour where you let a side in.
“That’s the challenge for us moving forwards.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root acknowledge the applause as they share a record-breaking stand in victory over Surrey at Headingley in 2016.
Root has played three Championship matches against Surrey in his career. In early May 2016, he scored a brilliant first-innings 213 at Headingley to help set up an innings victory.
Current captain Jonny Bairstow posted a superb 198 in the same game as they shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 372 to underpin a 557-6 total in reply to 330. Root then struck twice with the ball as Surrey were bowled out for 207 in their second innings.
A repeat this weekend would do very nicely indeed.
While Yorkshire were beaten at Warwickshire last time out, Surrey drew a high-scoring contest with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, with both sides topping 400 in their first innings. The hosts then did that again in their second.
Surrey continue to be coached by Bradfordian Gareth Batty, who came through the Yorkshire Academy before going on to play for England as an off-spinning all-rounder.
They are also captained by opening batter Rory Burns.
Surrey have Australian seamer Sean Abbott as their overseas player.
Smith, Dan Lawrence and Dom Sibley have all topped 400 runs in this season’s Championship, while Abbott, Jordan Clark and Matthew Fisher are all into double figures wickets wise. Clark leads the way with 13.
Picture by Alex Davidson/Getty Images. England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who currently has the gloves for Surrey because of an injury to Ben Foakes.
This will actually be the first Championship meeting between these two counties at Headingley since late June 2017, which finished in a heavily weather-affected draw.
Each of the four home games since then have all been played at Scarborough.
Former Yorkshire quick Fisher didn’t play for Surrey at Trent Bridge last weekend, nor did Australian overseas quick Richardson for Yorkshire at Edgbaston.
This will be Richardson’s last game for the county this summer before returning home to Australia.
Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath added: “There was no positive spin on a big loss like that at Warwickshire. But the facts are that we’ve got a game starting on Friday and we’ve got to be ready.
“Obviously Surrey’s going to be a really big test for us.
“If we turn up in our best form, then we’re a match for anyone. But we’ve just got to cut out these mad, horrendous days we’re having.”
YORKSHIRE v SURREY, FIRST-CLASS CRICKET 1863-2025 – STAT PACK
Results (home and away): County Championship: Played 200; Yorkshire won 59, Surrey won 58, Drawn 83. (Abandoned 2). In addition, the counties have played 53 non-Championship matches; Yorkshire won 28, Surrey won 14, Drawn 11.
At Headingley (all in CC): Played 31; Yorkshire won 14, Surrey won 5 (1892, 1911, 1921, 1973, 2002), Drawn 12.
Most recent results: 2025 Surrey won by an innings and 28 runs at The Oval, and match drawn at Scarborough. Yorkshire’s most recent win was by 123 runs at Scarborough in 2019.
Most successive wins: Yorkshire, Nine (1872-1876); In CC, three (three times). Surrey, Eight (1886-1889); In CC, Four (twice).
Two wins in a season: Yorkshire 17 times, Surrey 16 times.
Highest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 704 at The Oval in 1899. For Surrey, 634-5dec at The Oval in 2013.
Lowest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 26 at The Oval in 1909. For Surrey, 31 at Holbeck in 1883.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 255 by W Barber at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1935. For Surrey, 273 by TW Hayward at The Oval in 1899.
Highest partnerships: For Yorkshire, 372 for the fourth wicket between JE Root (213) and JM Bairstow (198) at Headingley in 2016. For Surrey, 448 for the fourth wicket between R Abel (193) and TW Hayward (273) at The Oval in 1899. This is recorded as 447 in the Yorkshire records due to a difference between the scorers in the fall of the fourth wicket. A Surrey record for all wickets against all opponents.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 8-5 by E Peate at Holbeck in 1883. For Surrey, 9-47 by T Richardson at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1893.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 14-77 (6-47 and 8-30) by E Peate at Huddersfield in 1881. For Surrey, 15-154 (7-55 and 8-99) by T Richardson at Headingley in 1897.
Hat-tricks: For Yorkshire, Two by A Hill at The Oval in 1880 and M Leyland at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1935. For Surrey, Five by W Brockwell at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1900, WH Lockwood at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1903, Intikhab Alam at The Oval in 1972, RD Jackman at Headingley in 1973 and AH Gray at Sheffield (Abbeydale Park) in 1985.
Most dismissals in an innings by a wicketkeeper: For Yorkshire, Six by D Hunter (5 ct, 1 st) at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1891. For Surrey, Six by EW Pooley (4ct, 2st) at The Oval in 1870.
Most dismissals in a match by a wicketkeeper: For Yorkshire, Eight by D Hunter (2 ct, 6 st) at Bradford in 1898. For Surrey, Seven by EW Pooley (5ct, 2st) at The Oval in 1870, WW Reed (5ct, 2st) at The Oval in 1883 and H Wood (7ct) at The Oval in 1894.
Most catches in an innings by a fielder: For Yorkshire, Five by D Wilson at The Oval in 1969. No one has taken more than four for Surrey.
Most catches in a match by a fielder: For Yorkshire, Six by J Tunnicliffe at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1893. No one has taken more than five for Surrey.
A century and five wickets in a match: For Yorkshire, GH Hirst 232* and 5-43 and 1-6 at The Oval in 1905. For Surrey, PGH Fender 177 and 6 and 6-116 at Bradford in 1928 and KF Barrington 158* and 5-51 and 2-54 at The Oval in 1967.
A century and five dismissals in an innings by a wicketkeeper: For Yorkshire, JA Tattersall 180* and 14 and 2 ct 3 st and 1 st at Scarborough in 2022. No instance for Surrey.
At Headingley…
Highest innings totals: Yorkshire 557-6 dec in 2016, Surrey 516-7 dec in 2017.
Lowest innings totals: Yorkshire 87 in 1892 and 1911, Surrey 69 in 1908.
Highest individual scores: For Yorkshire, 213 by JE Root in 2016. For Surrey, 180* by KC Sangakkara in 2017.
Best bowling figures in an innings: For Yorkshire, 7-17 by S Haigh in 1897. For Surrey, 8-70 by GA Lohmann in 1892.
Best bowling figures in a match: For Yorkshire, 11-72 (7-50 and 4-22) by GM Hamilton in 1998. For Surrey, 15-154 (7-55 and 8-99) by T Richardson in 1897
Compiled by Paul Dyson, Peter Horne and Martyn Webster – members of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.