Billy Root and Chris Cooke scored twin centuries on day four of Glamorgan’s match against Yorkshire, before Adam Lyth rescued the hosts with a doughty hundred of his own to secure the draw.
It is hard to assess which was less predictable: that Glamorgan would outclass Yorkshire, or that Headingley would be hit by a freak snowstorm that wiped out much of the third day’s play.
It The overall result of this match was almost a foregone conclusion by the time play resumed on Sunday morning, but the final day will linger in the memories of many of the participants and viewers for one touching moment.
When Billy Root tucked a short delivery off his legs for two, he reached his sixth first-class century. The bowler put his hands to his head in frustration, and understandably so – the England captain Joe Root had just ceded bragging rights from the fixture to his younger brother.
They were quickly reconciled, though, and the older brother gave his sibling a thoroughly deserved fist-bump in acknowledgement of the achievement.
The milestone was the result of a patient and disciplined innings from Root junior, who alongside Glamorgan captain Cooke had rescued the visitors from 29-4, a perilous position notwithstanding their 137-run lead at the halfway stage.
After reaching three figures, Root deposited England spinner Dominic Bess into the stands shortly before Cooke reached his own ton, and promptly declared.
Glamorgan’s hopes of capping off that fine partnership (their highest for the fifth wicket against Yorkshire) with a victory were boosted early on, as Tom Kohler-Cadmore nicked off and Tom Loten was adjudged lbw to Michael Hogan on the stroke of lunch, both for their second low score of the match.
After the break, Yorkshire stumbled again when Joe Root edged Dan Douthwaite to slip. It was to be the high point of Glamorgan’s chances of a win, however
Lyth and Harry Brook continued the encouraging work they had started in the first innings, batting positively against what is in reality a relatively modest attack by the standards they are used to in Division One. Neither showed any sign of trying to chase down the improbable 379 they were set to win, but nor were they looking to shut up shop: Lyth hit two sixes on his way to fifty, and Brook reached his half-century in just 60 balls.
While Brook was dismissed shortly after tea for 60, Lyth pushed on to bring up three figures off his 167th ball and the captains shook hands shortly after 5pm.
Allowing Glamorgan to wriggle free from 132-7 in the first innings and 29-4 in the second was a disappointment for Yorkshire, but captain Steven Patterson was also without his two new-ball bowlers, Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher, on days three and four due to injury.
The White Rose side will need to recover quickly, both in form and fitness, if they are going to qualify for the top group in the second stage of the season after this inauspicious start.
