T20 Vitality Blast Derbyshire v Yorkshire

Neil Whitaker reports

YORKSHIRE Vikings first X1 coach Andrew Gale blasted the Derbyshire Falcons for using a used pitch for their Vitality Blast T20 match at Chesterfield.

After seeing his team go down to the Falcons for the fifth consecutive time in the competition Gale said: “We just can’t seam to get over the line against them and I can’t understand why they put us on a  poor wicket for a T20 game. They put us on the pitch they used for the County Championship match Northamptonshire.

Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and decided to bat, it looked to be the right decision when Adam Lyth hit the first ball off the match from Darren Stevens over mid wicket for a six.  After that only Lyth and Johnny Tattersall out of the top six batsmen reached double figures. Lyth made 21 and became the highest Vikings scorer in T20 cricket and Tattersall hit an unbeaten 50.  The only major stand of the Vikings innings was between Tattersall and Jordan Thompson who added 66 in seven overs that got the Vikings to a score which they could defend.

West Indies World  Cup batsman Nicholas Pooran made a cameo knock of 12 in two overs but that was not good enough for the Vikings.  Doing the damage for the Falcons was Man of the match Mark Watt, playing in his first match for the Falcons took four wickets for 19 in his four overs.

Gale said: “The first powerplay cost us.  Between the fifth and 10th over we lost too many wickets but Thompson and Tattersall put us back in the and at the halfway stage I thought the lads had got us to a winning score. We didn’t play the smartest of cricket for three left handers to be dismissed by a left arm spinner.”

Defending 165 the Vikings suffered an early blow when seamer Matthew Fisher had to leave the field with a shoulder injury after stopping a four.  Gale added: “I am gutted for him because he has worked hard to come back after his latest injury and he has been brilliant in our last two games. He flicked the ball back and felt his shoulder pop out and we got it back in before he left the field.  We won’t know how long he is out for, until he’s seen a specialist.”

For the Falcons skipper Billy Godleman carried his bat for an unbeaten 70.  He received support from Luis Reece who made 19 in a second wicket partnership of 38 in four overs with Godleman before he tried sweeping Dom Bess and became his first victim for the Vikings.

Wayne Madsen became Bess’ second victim in a similar way to Reece bit with Godleman they added 21 in three overs.  But the partnership that almost got them over the line was 65 in eight overs between Godleman and Jacobus De Plooy.  Their partnership ended when De Plooy drove Thompson but got an outside edge to a slower ball and was well caught at point.

Despite his unbeaten 70, Godleman was eclipsed by Watt’s four for 19, last season he hit an unbeaten by 71 but was eclipsed by Matt Critchley’s 38 with 22 of them coming in the last over for the Man of the match Godleman said:  “I am happy to be eclipsed every day of the week as long as we win. Having Watt in our team is like having three extra bowlers in it. This win means a lot to us.”

Gale added: “Godleman did to us today what he did to us in the Royal London at Emerald Headingley earlier in the season.”

SCORECARD