There are areas we can improve, insists Gillespie

By The Newsroom
Published 11th Aug 2015, 01:00 BST
Adil Rashid rushes to congratulate Andrew Gale after the champions' captain took the catch which sealed Yorkshires win on Sunday (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com).Adil Rashid rushes to congratulate Andrew Gale after the champions' captain took the catch which sealed Yorkshires win on Sunday (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com).
Adil Rashid rushes to congratulate Andrew Gale after the champions' captain took the catch which sealed Yorkshires win on Sunday (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com).
JASON GILLESPIE believes Yorkshire are showing echoes of the great Australian sides that he was a part of in terms of their refusal to lay down and die.

The Yorkshire first-team coach played in an era when Australia were renowned not only for their exceptional skills, but also for their ability to never know when they were beaten.

It was a spirit epitomised by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who on those rare occasions when the top-order failed, could turn a match on its head from 
No 7.

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Whenever Australia were in trouble, it seemed that somebody – a Gilchrist or otherwise – would contrive to dig them out of a hole and put the pressure back on their opponents.

Yorkshire have displayed similar qualities in the County Championship this season, never more so than in their last match against Durham at Scarborough.

The champions were in trouble at 95-9 in their first innings before a last-wicket stand of 67 between Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom lifted them to 162 all-out, Yorkshire then bowling out Durham for 156.

And they were in the mire again at 79-5 in their second innings, a lead of just 85, before Glenn Maxwell and Adil Rashid shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 248 that helped Yorkshire to a final total of 440.

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Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid then took seven wickets between them as Durham were dismissed for 263, the hosts prevailing by 183 runs to record their sixth successive Championship win.

Asked whether a comparison could be drawn between Yorkshire’s resilience and that of Australia in Gillespie’s time, the former fast bowler said: “Yes, you could say that.

“Someone like an Adam Gilchrist would come in and play a great counter-attacking innings, and we’ve seen a lot of that type of fight from our lads this season.

“Tim Bresnan stepped up in the first innings at Scarborough and got crucial runs, and then Glenn Maxwell and Adil Rashid took the game away from Durham with a brilliant counter-attacking performance in our second innings.