Video – All smiles as Yorkshire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore wields his bat in style

THERE IS a temptation on April Fool’s Day to view all news items with an air of suspicion in case they represent a practical joke.
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The news that Tom Kohler-Cadmore had scored another hundred for Yorkshire, however, was never going to fall into that category as he made ‘April Fools’ yesterday of the Leeds-Bradford students.

In fairness to those students there are many more experienced and, dare one say, skilful bowlers who have suffered at the hands of Kohler-Cadmore’s bat.

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It is a bat that is being wielded to increasing effect, the powerful 24-year-old beginning to make a reputation for himself every bit as striking as his double-barrelled surname.

Kohler-Cadmore’s career-best 176, allied to Jonny Tattersall’s maiden first-class hundred (135 not out), helped Yorkshire to 489-8 declared in reply to Leeds-Bradford’s first innings 119, the students reaching 91-3 before stumps on day two of the three-day friendly at Weetwood.

It was Kohler-Cadmore’s third first-class century in his last eight innings, following scores last September of 106 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and 105 not out against Lancashire at Headingley.

Long regarded for his white-ball prowess, he is a red-ball player firmly on the rise.

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Not that Kohler-Cadmore – who joined Yorkshire in 2017 – will be getting too carried away with this latest tour de force, which spanned 235 balls and included 20 fours and three sixes.

Yorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore hits out. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.comYorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore hits out. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Yorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore hits out. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

Speaking at Yorkshire’s annual media day he offered an insight into a level-headed attitude that could carry him far.

“I just want to be consistent with everything that I do really,” he said. “I don’t want to get too high when I have a good game and I don’t want to get too low when I have a bad game.

“It’s easier said than done, but I just want to put in performances that win games of cricket for Yorkshire. If I’m doing that then I’m happy, Yorkshire are happy, and personal stuff like your average kind of takes care of itself if you are consistently winning matches.”

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Capped by Yorkshire before the start of the season, something he described as “a great honour” and one that increases his determination to “go out there and prove why I got it”, Kohler-Cadmore is going from strength to strength.

Yorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.comYorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Yorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

He is perhaps even more determined this season following the disappointment of missing out on the England Lions’ trip to India earlier this year, and he has immediately hit the ground running after Yorkshire’s pre-season tour to South Africa last month.

That tour was a great bonding experience from his perspective.

“For us at Yorkshire it was massive,” he said. “Compared to Worcestershire, where everyone lived within a five-mile radius of each other and socialised a lot more, here people live all over the county so actually spending time together doesn’t really happen much in terms of away from the ground.

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“It happens in little groups, but that is what makes the pre-season tour so good because you get the full squad together and you’re able to bond and build for the season and have good chats out there over a beer or two and dinner. For me that makes the pre-season camp invaluable.”

Given that team spirit, Kohler-Cadmore would have been as pleased for Tattersall yesterday as he was for himself, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper scoring his runs from 211 balls with 14 fours. After Jack Leaning fell for his overnight 20, after Yorkshire resumed on 164-3, they shared a fifth-wicket stand of 213 inside 46 overs.

Kohler-Cadmore’s innings eclipsed his previous career-best of 169 for Worcestershire against Gloucestershire at New Road in 2016, while Tattersall beat his previous high of 70 against Surrey at Scarborough last summer.

This promises to be an important campaign for Tattersall, of whom much will be expected with the bat as well as the gloves, with this innings a perfect statement of quality and intent.

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After declaring at tea Yorkshire took three wickets with the Leeds-Bradford second innings total standing at 30, two of them to Ben Coad and one to Duanne Olivier.

But home captain Angus Dahl (31) and Saad Ashraf (30) battled through to stumps with an unbroken stand of 61.