Metro One Day Cup Yorkshire v Hampshire at York August 17th

Neil Whitaker reports

HAMPSHIRE thrashed Yorkshire Vikings by 177 runs to maintain their push for the knock out stages of the   Metro Bank at York.

Only Vikings skipper Shane Masood out of the top six batters reached double figures.  Needing 311 to win, the Vikings lost their first wicket in their second over. After his unbeaten 93 on Tuesday, Hary Duke didn’t get off the mark when he helped Dom Kelly round the corner to Felix  Organ on the fine leg boundary. After that it was a procession from and to the hutch.  In the next over Finlay Bean edged Ian  Holland and stumper Ben Brown took a low catch.

George Hill edged a drive off  Dom Kelly and Tom  Prest took a great catch at first slip for the second  duck of the Vikings innings. Will Fraine made it to nine before he edged Holland to Scott Currie at  second slip who dosen’t drop edges.

Josh Wharton feathered the 17 year old Eddie Jack to Brown. Ben Mike was yorked first ball to put the teenager on a hattrick. Shan Masood tickled Holland to Brown to become the third man dismissed with the score on 36.

Matt Revis must have wondered what his upper order was doing when he drove Jack to the cover boundary to bring up the Vikings 50. He added 54 with Dom  Bess before he clipped Organ off his legs and Fletcha Middleton took a great catch on the mid wicket boundary with the ball coming out of the sun.

In the next over Currie got one to leap up at Bess who could only chip the ball to Prest at mid wicket.

The last pair of Dom Leech and Ben Coad had some fun  by adding 42 in six overs.A mighty six from Leech off Currie over long on gave Vikings fans something to cheer about.  When Leech drove Organ through extra cover for a couple the Viking avoided their lowest List A score  against Hampshire.

Shane Masood said:  “My message to the boys is that, you’ve had one bad game you need to step away from it and look forward to the two away games we have in a row. Hampshire showed us how to play the game by not throwing their early wickets away.  We didn’t get enough runs against the new ball.  It’s a lesson to learn and sometimes you have to learn the hard way. We have to learn to put the bowlers under pressure or play it like a four day match and absorb the pressure.

Now we  have to win both our last two games to go through but we are a young team.”

Playing in his fourth List A game 19 year old Joe  Eckland hit his best score of 72 and shared in a Hampshire  List A record fifth partnership against Yorkshire Vikings of 125 in 17 overs.  It was Eckland who sparked live into the Hampshire innings. He got off the mark by pulling Mike to the mid wicket boundary and that was a foretaste of what to come. Eckland lofted Leech  for a one bounce four to bring up his 50 from. 45  balls with eight fours.  

Prest went down the pitch to Revis to the long on boundary to take him into the 90’s.He reached his ton with a six over long off off Revis and it also brought up the Hampshire 300. Off 114 balls with two sixes and 10 fours. Trying for a third six he was caught on the long on boundary by Leach in the 50th over.

At the other end Prest was contented to let the teenager have his day in the sun but like Eckland he wasn’t shy about attacking the Vikings attack as he made the Vikings pay for dropping him on 23 when he  cut Revis to 12th man Will   Luxton,on for  Bean, at point who dived forward but as he fell to the ground the ball spilled out of his grasp.  He had another slice of luck when he top edged a pull off Revis but luckily found the fine leg boundary.

Prest  went down the pitch to Bess and lofted him over mid off for a two bounce four to take him to 49.   He drilled Bess to extra cover boundary bisecting two fielders and in Bess’ next over he repeated the shot and brought up the Hampshire 200.

The partnership was broken when Eckland sliced a drive off Revis and found Bean on the cover boundary.  Eckland’s departure laid the platform for Organ who played with no fear.  He pulled Mike over the mid wicket boundary for a six.  On bended knee to Mike, Organ late cut him to the third man boundary.  After two consecutive wides Organ pulled Mike over square leg for a six and he flat batted Mike just over Shan Masood at mid off for another boundary.

Put into bat the Hampshire openers Nick Grubbins and Middleton couldn’t get the ball away for the first two overs. Middleton, frustrated  at not getting the ball away had a big swing at Leech and was bowled.

Grubbins  got an inside edge to Hill as he tried to glance Hill off his legs. For him his 30 was a relative failure in this year’s competition.

Brown on six edged Hill just above to outstretched right hand of a leaping Fraine at slip for a four.  Mike who took four wickets on Tuesday got his first of the match with his third ball when Brown top edged a short arm pull to Duke but he suffered later to Prest and Eckland. His 10 overs cost him 84 runs. Mike  got his second wicket in his next over when  Nye Donald clipped  Mike off his legs but found Bean at mid wicket.

Prest said:” It’s fantastic to get four points on the road which is never  easy to do.  After getting a duck against Lancashire and then batting like I did today was really awesome.  It was a tough pitch. In our earlier games we hadn’t realised how long 50 overs is.  It was awesome batting with Eckland and he batted really well and showed his class. We were annoyed that they got that partnership at the end butvI thought our bowlers were exceptional.  Hopefully we can get a home semi final and do better than we did last year.”

Before the match a minute’s silence was held in memory of Sir Michael Parkinson who died during the night.

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