Royal London Cup Yorkshire v Worcestershire

Royal London Cup Yorkshire CCC v Worcestershire CCC May 23rd 2018

Neil Whitaker reports

WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids beat Yorkshire Vikings by four runs at Emerald Headingley due with a devastating batting display in their last 10 overs but the winning margin should have been greater.

After 40 overs the Rapids had scored 228 for five, in the next 10 they scored 122 for the loss of only one wicket. A sixth wicket partnership of 110 in 11 overs between Ross Whiteley and Ben Cox saw them there.  Whiteley, from Sheffield really does enjoy batting against Yorkshire, he hit 101in the county Championship at Scarborough three years ago and last year he hit 36 off one over.  A repeat of the feat by Whiteley looked on when he hit the first ball of the final for a six over mid wicket into the West stand.

Cox swept Adil Rashid over  mid wicket for a big six into the West stand.  Rashid will want to forget this innings because two for 86 is Yorkshire’s second worst bowling figures in List A cricket.  The hundred partnership with Whiteley was brought up when Cox lofted Steven Patterson over mid wicket for a four.  Two balls later Cox flat batted Patterson for his second six into the West stand.  He tried to scoop the next ball over Hodd’s head but didn’t get enough power and Andrew Hodd took a simple catch.

The pair came together after the Rapids had lost two quick wickets in nine balls for two runs. Brett  D’Oliveria backed away and smacked Patterson to Tom Kohler-Cadmore on the point boundary.   Travis Head got a leading edge to Rashid and gave him a simple return catch.  Head was alway looking to keep the scoreboard moving and he played a delicate late cut off Tim Bresnan through the vacant third man for a boundary to inch nearer his fifty.He cut the next ball a little squarer to bring up hits fifty fro 57 balls.

Rapids’ skipper Joe Leach said: “It was a good game of cricket and my heart rate is just starting to come down.  We still have a lot of things to improve on but to come away with two points is very pleasing.

Our batting line up is pretty scary and I think we are capable of scoring more.  It was a good experience for our young seamers, they work hard and will get better.”

The 350 was the Rapids highest List A score against Yorkshire Vikings beating the 342 they made last year at Worcester but when they lost fifth wicket at 220 with 11 overs left 350 looked a long way off.

After been put in the Rapids lost their first wicket in the fifth over when Daryl Mitchell played inside one from Ben Coad and was plum leg before.  Head joined Clarke  and gradually the run rate increased and 300 looked on the cards.

Joe Clarke reached his fifty  in the grand manor when he took a few steps down the  wicket to Rashid and deposited him over long off into the building site at the Football end.  His fifty came from 55 balls with five fours as well that six.  Head looked like he was the one to take the match away from the Vikings Rapids as he smashed Rashid for a straight four through mid off which nearly took his partner Clarke out. Three  balls later Rashid deflected a drive from Head on to the stumps to run out Clarke after they had added 108 in 17 overs.

In the Vikings reply Chet Pujara hit his first List A century for them  while Kohler-Cadmore fell 11 short off his second century in this years competition. After a sedate start Kohler-Cadmore smashed  Leach over mid wicket into the East stand for the Vikings first six of their innings.  The Vikings lost their first wicket when Adam  Lyth edged a drive off Ed Barnard to stumper Cox standing up.

Kohler-Cadmore deposited a full toss from D’Oliveira over cow corner for his second six to bring up his fifty from 40 balls and effortlessly  clipped Pat Brown off his legs into the East stand for his third six.

He went down the wicket to D’Oliveria and smashed him down Fell’s throat at long on and that started a min collapse. Two balls later Wainman promoted up the order was caught down the legside.  Brook advanced down the wicket to Brown but sliced his drive to Fell on the third man boundary.

The Vikings should have lost Pujara on 82 when  drove D’Oliveria to Clarke in the covers but hit him just above his wrist and he couldn’t take the catch.  After reaching his century he clipped Barnard off his legs to mid wicket but found Fell who took his third catch of the innings. 

With 68 needed from the last five overs Bresnan hit the first ball of the 46th over into the building site for a six.  Rashid hit a four off Leach but then top edged the next ball to Head at short third man.  Bresnan toe ended the first ball of the next over from Barnard for a six over point but by the end of the over Bresnan was back in the hutch.

16 were required of the last over.  The Vikings scored only four of first four balls then Hodd hit Morris for a straight six, another six six would give them victory but Hodd couldn’t repeat it.

Vikings skipper Patterson said: “It was an interesting game with a lot of runs being score and to get so close was disappointing. It was a tremendous effort to get as close as we did. The way we played in the first half was below par. We were not good enough in the last 10 overs with the ball and the field and then to lose by four runs was a great effort. We didn’t deserve to win after that first half.

I thought Pujara was superb and without him we wouldn’t got so near but our target was a little bit too much.  It was achievable if we had wickets in hand, but we’ve still got five games left and if we win three or four of them we’ll get to the next stage.”

FULL SCORECARD

April 24, 2018 12:00 am

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