- Joe Root backs Yorkshire’s County Championship ambitions after crushing Surrey
- England star closes in on historic 14,000 Test runs milestone
- Harry Brook and Matt Fisher shine in dramatic Headingley clash
Joe Root insists personal milestones mean little compared to England building momentum this summer after Yorkshire’s emphatic innings-and-127-run victory over Surrey at Headingley.
Fresh from helping his county dismantle the reigning champions, the former England captain said the performance underlined the depth and belief growing within Anthony McGrath’s side ahead of a crucial stretch of Test cricket.
Yorkshire lay down a marker at Headingley
With England preparing for the opening Test against New Zealand, Root will soon rejoin Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Yet before shifting back into international mode, he took satisfaction from seeing Yorkshire deliver one of their most complete performances of the season.
Speaking after the win, Root said Yorkshire had shown they possess the quality to challenge the very best in the County Championship.
“A performance like that just shows the quality of players that Yorkshire’s got,” Root told The Cricketer.
“When we get it right and when we apply ourselves in the right way, that’s what it can look like against a very good, experienced Surrey team. A lot of superstars have accomplished a lot over the last couple of years.
“We can beat them by an innings. It shows that the quality’s there. The ability’s there. Brooky and I coming back gives us a bit of experience and can help in other ways but we weren’t major contributors in determining the results. It shows that if we’re on and we’re performing well we can definitely challenge in this competition.”
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Matt Fisher enjoys memorable return
Headingley was treated to flashes of Root at his elegant best during his lone county appearance of the campaign. Trademark drives rolled across the outfield before Surrey seamer Matt Fisher produced a moment that briefly silenced the home crowd.
The former Yorkshire quick trapped Root lbw with a delivery that hurried the batter on the stroke. Root later admitted he was unconvinced by the decision though accepted it was marginal in the absence of technology.
Reflecting on the dismissal, Root joked with The Cricketer about Fisher’s version of events.
“Well, we’re not always gonna agree on everything, are we?” Root said with a laugh.
“I didn’t hit it. But I try and manage, that’s one of the things you try and do, right? You try and manage the game. I bat in my crease quite a lot. And when the ball moves, if it hits you outside the crease, then it’s obviously deviating further.
“My disappointment came from when I felt like I’d alleviated that or I had to manage that well enough because if it moved so much, it’s gonna travel on and miss leg stumps. That was where my frustration came from. But without technology, you don’t really know. It looked pretty close. You can see why the umpire gave it out.”
Fisher’s return to Headingley became one of the stories of the match. The York-born fast bowler dismissed both Root and Harry Brook on his way to four wickets in Surrey colours, earning praise from his former captain despite Yorkshire’s dominant victory.
Joe Root sends title warning to County Championship rivals
Root spoke warmly about Fisher’s resurgence after injury setbacks disrupted much of his early career. He said the move south appeared to have given the seamer renewed rhythm and confidence ahead of his inclusion in England’s squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Discussing Fisher’s revival, Root told The Cricketer:
“Sometimes a move can be a really good thing for a player. It’s been good to see him get some games under his belt and play a bit more consistently. He’s been very unlucky with injuries throughout his time. So seeing him playing, enjoying, contributing and being very effective in this game was great.
“I am sure he will have a lot of confidence going into it. And I remember when he obviously played under my tenure as captain, bringing him in, making his debut, and he was brilliant. It was a shame that he wasn’t quite fit enough to play the next one but I think he’s again got a huge amount of quality. Really pleased for him.”
Harry Brook earns praise for surprise spell
While Fisher impressed with the ball, Brook added his own unexpected chapter to the contest with a lively spell that rattled Surrey’s batting line up. The Yorkshire captain’s three wickets even prompted joking comparisons with Wasim Akram from McGrath.
Root laughed off the suggestion though admitted Brook’s ability to influence matches in multiple disciplines could become an increasingly valuable asset.
“We are never going to hear the end of it, are we?” Root joked to The Cricketer.
“He was talking about how he was using the crease earlier. Again, too much now. But it’s good. It’s actually important, isn’t it? If there are ways that you can affect the game and add things to it, that’s what you pride yourself on as a player.
“Whether that’s with bat, in the field or with ball, you want to keep looking at how you can help your captain out, help the guys out, get across the line, and Harry influenced this game. It was actually a really nice ball, wasn’t it? That got Smith out.”
There was also room for a playful nod to Brook’s prized international wicket of Kane Williamson in Wellington three years ago, a scalp that remains a regular source of dressing-room humour within the England camp.
“As we all know, he tells us all the time he has Kane Williamson in his pocket already,” Root said with a smile.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see how that flourishes. It’s good for him to get that under his belt.”
Also read: Essex go top after win big at home
Root closes in on historic Test milestone
Attention now turns to the Test arena where Root stands on the verge of another remarkable landmark. The Sheffield-born batter needs just 57 more runs to become only the second player in history to reach 14,000 Test runs.
Characteristically, however, Root brushed aside the significance of the milestone and instead focused on England’s ambitions for the summer ahead.
“Win six Test matches,” Root told The Cricketer.
“As a senior player in that team, make sure you’re affecting the games. I’m not one for numbers. I feel like if you fall short of them, you’re disappointed and if you surpass them, you’re still disappointed because you’ve not set yourself a high enough bar.
“More than anything, you judge yourself on that and sometimes 40 can be a brilliant score in certain contexts or certain conditions. Other times it might be more as you’d expect, like a 180 or whatever, but just play what’s right in front of you, try and affect the games as much as possible and try and have a really successful summer of Test cricket for England.”
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