Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ben Cliff was excellent at Neath today.
It’s not often when doing post match interviews that we speak to two players together, but that’s what happened with Fin Bean and Ben Cliff in the evening sunshine at Neath after Yorkshire’s first Metro Bank One-Day Cup win of the season, by two wickets against Glamorgan.
A fascinating, bowler-dominated clash saw the White Rose recover from 107-6 to chase down 187 with eight balls remaining.
Bean top-scored with 43 not out after seamer Cliff had helped bowl Glamorgan out for 186 with 4-29 from eight overs of seam, including a wicket with his first ball.
Half an hour or so earlier, the pair had been together at the crease, with Cliff hitting the winning boundary to cap off an impressive personal performance.
And given they were not chatting side by side, it was only right to get each to assess the other’s performance.
“Beany batted very well to get us over the line in a bit of a tight one,” said Cliff. “I think there’d be a few lads who would be kicking themselves that they weren’t with him at the end. But that’s the beauty of cricket and why it’s such a good team game.”
And Bean said: “Cliffy’s first spell was brilliant. To get a wicket first ball certainly helped get him into his spell, and a bit of bounce suited him. Very nice.”
On the game in general, Cliff said: “We bowled them out with three overs to spare, and I’m sure they would have been disappointed with their score.
“We got off to a good start, had a bit of luck, and I was happy to do my job.
“We were happy at halfway, but we knew it was still going to be a tough chase. We spoke at half-time about the fact it wasn’t just going to be a blow them away sort of chase.
“We knew it would take a while to get over the line, and it has done.”
Yorkshire bounced back from Tuesday’s defeat against Hampshire, and Bean shared a crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 45 with his captain Dom Bess here in South Wales.
“I think from last week, we were so disappointed in Scarborough. And it’s what we needed, a partnership,” he said.
“Partnerships kill games of cricket, and I just wanted to be there at the end.
“There were times where there was a bit of pressure on us with a few dot balls, and they’d strung a couple of overs together. But 50-overs is such a long time.
“The longer you can go with two set men, the easier it is.”
