Captain Gale remains upbeat as Starc’s pace is added to armoury

At Headingley Carnegie in their opening game, Yorkshire were forced to follow-on after Kent scored 537-9 declared.

The home side made 364 in their first innings and finished on 146-4 – a deficit of 27 – in a fixture in which 76 overs were lost to the elements, and in which Kent dropped several important chances.

At Canterbury, where torrential rain washed out yesterday’s final day and permitted only 8.5 overs on Saturday, Yorkshire were perhaps not ungrateful that the final half of the match was effectively washed out.

This time, Yorkshire could have come under pressure in their second innings after Kent replied to the visitors’ 247 with 350-9, despite being 158-5 at one stage.

As it was, 20 hours of continuous rain from 12.40pm on Saturday left standing water on the outfield and consigned the match to a soggy draw.

In mitigation, Yorkshire had comfortably the worst of the conditions in Canterbury after captain Andrew Gale lost the toss.

It meant the visitors’ batsmen were severely tested on the opening day as the ball swung and seamed around.

Of course, Yorkshire could theoretically have turned the match on its head despite a deficit of 103.

Indeed, Gale felt confident of a better total second time around which could have brought leg-spinner Adil Rashid into play.

“We had the rough end of the conditions,” said Gale, whose team were thwarted by rain in their previous Championship match against Essex.

“Losing the toss here was a big thing because it was difficult to bat on that opening day.

“I thought we did well to get up to 250 and the only criticism I have is that lots of batsmen got starts but no-one went on.

“If we’d got ourselves up to even 300, and then bowled Kent out for 350, we would only have been 50 behind and firmly in the match.

“I actually thought this game might have been set up nicely as it was. I think we could have put on a good total in our second innings, got 300-350, and then Rash could have come into play with his spin in the second innings.

“The disappointing thing, having played well against Essex last week, was that we were not able to drive this match. It didn’t work out like that but I still think we are going in the right direction.”

Yorkshire, who return to Championship action on Wednesday against Leicestershire at Scarborough, bowled well in patches at the St Lawrence Ground.

It was a splendid effort to reduce Kent to 158-5 on the second day in conditions that, in stark contrast to day one, were decent for batting. However, the old problem of failing to turn the screw reared its head as Kent then added 192 runs for one wicket.

The arrival of Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc should aid their quest for greater consistency – Yorkshire hope to have the 22-year-old available for the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol beginning on May 9 – and it is an issue Gale is keen to address.

“We had Kent 150-odd for five and then let our foot off the gas,” he admitted.

“It’s something we keep saying and it’s something that keeps on cropping up on a regular basis.

“I don’t know whether we’re striving too hard for our wickets, or being too aggressive with our field settings, or what. But it’s something we need to keep working to prevent.

“Hopefully, Mitchell Starc’s NoC (No Objection Certificate) will come through in the next day or so. He will certainly add further quality to the side. Fingers crossed, he will be available for the Gloucestershire match.

“It’s just a question now of sorting out the paperwork.”

On the face of it, three successive draws represents an underwhelming start to Yorkshire’s attempt to bounce straight back into the Championship First Division.

In reality, however, they have not been helped by the inclement weather, while Kent – and, to a lesser extent, Essex – provided tough opposition.

Indeed, having finished second-bottom of the Championship last season, Kent appear to be enjoying something of a renaissance.

They have recruited shrewdly during the winter months, while new coach Jimmy Adams has made a favourable impression.

“I think Kent are a very good side,” said Gale.

“They’ve got a really experienced team and something to prove as well.

“If they keep everyone fit, I think they’ll be right up there at the end of the season.

“At the same time, I think that applies to us as well, and we will go forward with confidence now into our next game at Scarborough.”

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