Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Harry Brook celebrates bowling Jamie Smith in the second innings, with George Hill and Matthew Revis by his side.
SCORECARD
Yorkshire’s bowlers, led by the outstanding George Hill, put their county on course for what would be a notable Rothesay County Championship victory over Surrey at Headingley thanks to a superb day-three display.
After the White Rose batters did their bit on day one and into day two, the bowlers backed it up in defence of a 486-total. Surrey started the day on 17-0, slipped to 93-7 just before lunch and were bowled out for 204 at tea.
Hill returned 4-34 from 13 overs, all his wickets coming in the morning. He also took two excellent slip catches. His fellow all-rounder Matthew Revis bowled beautifully for three wickets, Ben Cliff claimed two and Jhye Richardson one.
In Surrey’s second innings, after tea, Harry Brook’s medium pace accounted for three wickets as the visitors closed on 83-5 from 28.4 overs. Two of them came in an over, including England team-mate Jamie Smith bowled for a two-ball duck. Bad light stopped play with 12.2 overs remaining in the day, and 20 in all were lost due to the weather.
Surrey could have been in a much bigger hole, only for Australian overseas seamer Sean Abbott to contribute an attacking 56 off 61 balls with two sixes, helping the Oval county more than double their first-innings total with the last three wickets.
Hill showed just why he is one the most highly-rated young all-rounders in the country during a devastating, deadly eight-over morning burst to put Yorkshire in the box seat.
Helped by the seam of Richardson and Revis, the latter who struck twice before lunch, Hill opened the game up and gave Yorkshire a great chance of victory.
Surrey began the day on 17-0 and slipped alarmingly. And all this happened with a brief rain delay, which meant the loss of four overs.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jordan Clark looks on in despair as the ball, via his right hip, rolls back onto his stumps to be bowled by George Hill.
Australian Richardson broke through initially to get Rory Burns caught in the point region having fended away a brute of a delivery which rose sharply from just short of a length.
Surrey were 58-1 and looking solid before the drama amidst swing and seam movement. The Burns’ dismissal also indicated some uneven bounce.
Dom Sibley clipped Hill to leg slip for 25 before England wicketkeeper-batter Smith drove loosely and edged Revis to third slip for just four.
Ryan Patel top-edged a pull at Hill to square-leg – 65-4 in the 22nd over – before Dan Lawrence drove Revis to cover.
Then came two Hill wickets in as many balls, at the end of the 26th. He angled one back into Adam Thomas, who edged behind, before a hooping in-swinger bowled Jordan Clark off his back hip.
After lunch, Yorkshire had to be patient as Surrey’s lower order enjoyed some success, led by Abbott.
He clubbed two leg-side sixes off the seam of Jack White and Cliff en-route to a 53-ball fifty and shared 58 for the eighth wicket with Josh Blake, who was later caught in the slips for 22 off Cliff – 151-8.
Hill took the catch low down at third slip after left-handed Blake had slashed an attempted cut shot.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth takes a low catch at cover off Matthew Revis to dismiss Dan Lawrence first time around before lunch.
Abbott then added 25 with ninth-wicket partner Matthew Fisher, who himself added 28 for 10th with Dan Worrall after Abbott had edged a beauty from Revis to first slip. It was angled in and nipped away, leaving Surrey at 176-9.
Worrall, on the attack, later edged behind against Cliff to wrap up to the innings on the stroke of tea.
And Yorkshire’s bowlers continued to enjoy themselves into the evening as the county’s second win of the season, at the sixth attempt, came into full view.
The breakthrough came in the sixth over courtesy of Jack White when he had Burns caught behind unsure whether to play forwards or back – 15-1.
Another four overs were lost because of rain during the evening, after which Hill failed return to the field to complete his second over.
That left Brook to bowl some of his medium-pacers, and what an impact he had.
Thankfully, Hill did return to the field quickly.
But Brook enjoyed a memorable 18th over of the innings when Patel slapped him straight to cover and – two balls later – Smith lost his off-stump having missed one angled back in at him.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jamie Smith is bowled by Harry Brook after tea.
Further damage came when Revis forced Lawrence to play on for one and Brook had Adam Thomas caught at point in successive overs – 57-5 in the 22nd over.
While Hill was the one who broke this day open for Yorkshire this morning, the likes of Revis and Brook could quite easily lay claim to being the headline acts.
In all, it was an outstanding collective display.
Now, the White Rose must finish the job tomorrow.
Opener Sibley is one of those who stand in Yorkshire’s way. He is unbeaten on 33.
There was no play beyond 6.40pm due to the light.