YORKSHIRE’S stand-in captain Jonny Tattersall says that their promotion this season from Vitality County Championship Division Two was down to fine margins.
The wicket-keeper batsman, who took over when Shan Masood was back home and also when he suffered from concussion, was in charge when Yorkshire defeated Leicestershire, Gloucestershire (home and away) and Sussex (also at Scarborough), as a brilliant second half of the season saw them pip Middlesex to promotion.
Tattersall, who turns 30 next month, admitted as a guest speaker at the Dales Council League’s annual dinner at Weetwood Hall: “’We didn’t start this season off how we liked with five draws and two losses, but we took a lot of bonus points.”
The defeats had come against Middlesex and eventual champions Sussex, who were the top two in Division Two at that time.
One of the draws was against Northants in late May, and Tattersall, who was interviewed at the dinner by Dales Council League president, former Yorkshire and England off-spinner Geoff Cope, revealed: “We (the players) had a chat after that game about how we could improve.
“We had let opportunities slip through our fingers like when we threw it away at Sussex (falling from 158-6 to 161 all out chasing 183).”
Yorkshire were playing some good cricket, but just couldn’t finish the job off, and former England Under-19 player Tattersall stressed at the time the importance of winning each session, with the result then taking care of itself.
He said: “We were playing some good cricket, but just couldn’t get over the line.”
Playing at North Marine Road helped Yorkshire to turn the corner as they defeated Gloucestershire, with Adam Lyth (129) and Finlay Bean (164) putting on a triple-century opening stand, with Tattersall at the helm for that game as Masood was suffering from concussion.
Yorkshire followed that up by defeating Derbyshire at Chesterfield and, after the break for one-day cricket, beat Sussex at Scarborough in late August.
Tattersall said: “We always play well at Scarborough and won both games there.
“Our bowlers came to the party and the pressure was relentless at both ends, which helped us get on that winning run.”
They followed that up with a draw against Middlesex at Headingley before defeating Leicestershire by an innings at Grace Road, and Glamorgan by 186 runs at Sophia Gardens.
That left them only needing a draw from their final game to guarantee promotion, which they managed against Northants at Headingley.
Tattersall, who married his childhood sweetheart Emma in January, said: “Momentum was a massive key.”
He also got a close-up view of England stars Joe Root and Harry Brook, who played five red-ball games apiece for Yorkshire this year.
Tattersall said: “I would agree that we have two very special players in Root and Brook.
“I expect Root to go past Sachin Tendulkar’s record of test runs. It is his and Brook’s mental application that sets them apart.”
The contribution of Lyth with the bat and Ben Coad with the ball should not be under-estimated either.
Nor that of Tattersall, who scored 107 at Chesterfield, putting on a record 241-run sixth-wicket stand with James Wharton (188) against Derbyshire, before making 126 in the innings win against Leicestershire after they were 56-4.
Regarding the latter, Cope said: “That was one of the finest innings I have seen.
“The other batters were playing down Bakerloo when they should have been playing down Waterloo.”
As for 2025 in Division One, Tattersall said: “We have a great young squad and they will get better over the years.
“We are expecting to finish in mid-table rather than challenging Surrey or Hampshire for the title.”
As for the T20 Blast, which Yorkshire have never won, Tattersall revealed: “We probably should have done a bit better.
Yorkshire (batting) narrowly lost this game to Birmingham Bears in July on their way to yet another group stage exit in the Vitality Blast. (Image: Ray Spencer.)
“We haven’t had the consistency in performances, only two games out of three instead.
“We need a change of mentality or a change of style.”
As for the new Yorkshire coaching staff, Tattersall, who has signed up to play the odd game for Knaresborough in Yorkshire Premier League North next season, said: “With Mags (head coach Anthony McGrath) and John Sadler (batting coach) we have every chance of hitting the ground running.
“Mags has a lot of pedigree and has had a good record with Essex, and I have spent a little bit of time with him.
“We have a good set of lads and hopefully it will be a seamless transition.”
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