Ben Coad hails Duanne Olivier bowling partnership at Yorkshire

Yorkshire are unbeaten in the County Championship thanks to the seam pair with the South African having produced a series of intimidating spells

Ben Coad has spoken of the different dimension his new-ball partner Duanne Olivier is providing to Yorkshire’s bowling attack this season.

Olivier, the ex-South Africa Test bowler, has put the frighteners on many a batsman this summer, not only dismissing them but intimidating them with short-pitched bowling as well.

He has played his part in Yorkshire’s unbeaten start in the Specsavers County Championship with 16 wickets.

Yorkshire sit second in the table, two points behind early pacesetters Somerset, with two wins from their three games so far, the latest coming against Kent at Canterbury last week.

“In previous years, we’ve lacked that firepower in many senses,” said Coad, who has taken 15 wickets.

“Jack Brooks is a phenomenal bowler, but they’re very different.

“When the tail’s in, we almost know we can blow them away with Duanne. He just frightens them. If he’s doing that, he won’t necessarily get the wickets, but others will.

“They don’t really want to be facing him, which means they’re trying to get after me or someone else.”

Olivier definitely has a case of white-line fever.

Amiable and relaxed off the field, he doesn’t go too long at all without bowling a short ball on it.

Coad laughed: “D’s a very good bowler and quite an angry man!

“You don’t want to be on the opposition, and thankfully I haven’t faced him in the nets yet. He’s a great man to have around and a great addition to the team.”

The pair linked up superbly in Yorkshire’s 172-run win at Canterbury, sharing 14 wickets.

Coad claimed nine in the match and 6-52 in the second innings as Kent forlornly chased 384 from late on day three onwards, while Olivier returned five wickets in all.

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Yorkshire have a free week and return to action against Hampshire at Emerald Headingley, starting next Monday.

It is the first of back-to-back home games after three away trips to start their Championship campaign. Anthony McGrath’s Essex visit the week after next.

Coad said: “It will be good to be back at Headingley because I’ve not played there for a good seven months and to know what the pitch will do in terms of the help on offer.”

Coad and Olivier headline a deep and varied pool of bowling stocks for the White Rose county this summer.

Tim Bresnan may have gone down with a suspected torn calf on day four at Canterbury and is likely to face a spell on the sidelines, while Matthew Waite is also injured (ankle).

But there are plenty of others waiting in the wings, including seamers Josh Shaw and Jared Warner, who have only just departed for month-long loan spells at Sussex and Gloucestershire respectively.

Matthew Fisher is close to first-team contention following back and thumb injuries, while former Surrey quick Mat Pillans is also knocking at the door following a productive Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.

“It makes for good competition,” said coach Andrew Gale.

“We have a balanced attack out there at the minute, but we have guys in the seconds breathing down their necks. We have good options.”

Coad added: “Kent was the first of eight Championship games in this block (before the Vitality Blast starts in mid-July). So there’s going to have to be squad rotation at some point. You can’t play all eight and be fully fresh. We’re in a good place.”

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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