Royal London Cup Yorks v Leics April 17th
Royal London Cup Yorkshire Vikings v Leicestershire Foxess April 17th at Headingley
Neil Whitaker reports
YORKSHIRE Vikings got their 2019 Royal London one-day cup season of to great start with a 213 run victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Emerald Headingley.
The defeat was the biggest margin of defeat for the Foxes in List A cricket. The foundations for the Vikings victory were laid by a record fourth wicket partnership between Gary Ballance and Harry Brook and then it was wrapped up by South African Matt Pillans who took best List A bowling figures of five for 29. The Vikings hit 379 for seven in their 50 overs equalling their previous highest List A score made against Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford last year.
Ballance hit his highest List A score for Yorkshire of 156 beating his unbeaten 152 made against Northamptonshire at Northampton in 2013. His 156 was his eighth List A century for Yorkshire and his third consecutive century. It was also the highest individual Yorkshire score in List A cricket against Leicestershire at Leeds beating the 120 made by Jacques Rudolph in 2008.
He was given a life on 81 when he went down the wicket to Arron Lilley, missed the ball but stumper Lewis Hill missed the stumping. When he came into bat a victory by this margin was only a pipe dream the Vikings were struggling on 17 for three after been put into bat by Foxes skipper Paul Horton. From the moment he came in Ballance and Brook dominated they Foxes attack who couldn't plug the gaps. The pair went on to hit 211 a Yorkshire record fourth wicket partnership in List A cricket beating the 141 by Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath at Leicester in 1999. The 211 was also Yorkshire’s highest fourth wicket partnership in List A cricket beating the 207 made by Craig White and Simon Kellett against Ireland at Leeds in 1995.
Ballance placed Gavin Griffiths to the cover boundary for a single to bring up his fifty and Brook brought up his fifty off the next ball when he drove Griffiths straight to the long off boundary. A shot that nearly took Griffiths’ hand off after that shot Griffiths was taken out of the attack.
Ballance drove Will Davis over long on for a six to bring up their 150 partnership and smeared Griffiths over extra cover for his third six.
Brook hit his first List A century for the Vikings easily beating his previous best score of 24 he made against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford last year. His century came from 101 balls with 14 fours. The partnership was broken when he top edged a pull off Aadil Ali’s second ball and stumper Hill ran to short cover to take the catch.
He said: “It was a very good day, we didn’t start off well but me and Ballance put on a partnership and took us to a decent score. I thought our bowling was outstanding and ruthless. At the start they ball did a tiny bit but there was movement of the seam so I decided that moving my feet was the best option for me. I did my job for the team. Getting hundreds is nice and if I could get an hundred every other game I would be pleased and hopefully I can get a few more in this competition.”
Ballance smashed Davis over mid wicket for six and clipped the next ball into the West stand for the biggest six of the match. He hit the next ball for a straight six over long off just clearing the boundary and bring up his 150 and the hundred partnership with Jonny Tattersall. With everyone in the ground willing him to hit another three sixes in the over he failed when the four ball dropped yards short off the extra cover boundary. He drove the next ball to Arron Lilley at deep cover who made no mistake with the catch.
Tattersall played a cameo of an innings and became the third Vikings player to hit fifty which came from 24 balls and included four sixes, he cheekily clipped Griffiths off his legs for a six over fine leg, it was the first of three sixes in Griffiths seventh over and scooped Chris Wright over mid wicket for a six to bring up his fifty off 24 balls with four sixes.
Yorkshire lost their first wicket to the third ball of the day when Adam Lyth edged a drive off Tom Taylor to Horton at first slip. Taylor struck again in his second over when David Willey edged a drive which was too close to him. Tom Kohler-Cadmore missed a straight ball from Taylor and was leg before.
Foxes head coach Paul Nixon said: “It was disappointing after a good start, I thought Taylor bowled beautifully. It was an outstanding partnership between Ballance and Brook, an England player and a future England player and they took the game away from us.
Our bowlers didn’t execute things well enough. It was our first white ball game of the season and we will learn from it. The wicket was good and our batters didn’t get going. They have got to get in and build partnerships which they didn’t today. We have got match winners and we bat all the way down but we didn’t get going. It’s all about taking responsibility and creating partnerships.”
In their reply the Foxes lost their first wicket in the first over when Harry Dearden was yorked by Willey for a duck. Lilley and Horton added 37 in seven overs before Lilley backed away from Willey and bottom edged it and Tim Bresnan took the catch running backwards at mid on.
Horton checked drive Vikings skipper Steven Patterson to Kohler-Canmore at short cover who took a two handed catch diving to his left.
When Mark Cosgrove was trapped leg before to Josh Poysden’s first ball at Emerald Headingley the walk back to the hutch became a procession. First Colin Ackerman chopped on to Pillans. Hill cut a ball from Pillans which too close to him for the shot to Willey at point.
Pillans got his third wicket when Taylor top edged a pull off him and Adil Rashid running in from mid on took the catch. Ali chipped Pillans to Lyth at mid wicket. Davis tried to heave Poysden out of the park and was bowled.
Pillans wrapped the match up with 21.3 overs left when Wright top edged a slash to Tattersall
April 18, 2019 12:00 am