Andrew Gale admitted his frustration at Yorkshire’s missed opportunity against Derbyshire at Chesterfield on Saturday – but the coach remains confident they can bounce back in a big week for their Vitality Blast hopes.
Gale saw the Vikings fail to defend a target of 167, including 42 off the last three overs, 27 off the last two and 19 off the last as England Lions all-rounder Matt Critchley starred for the Falcons.
The 21-year-old smashed two fours and two sixes in the final over from Tim Bresnan, which actually went for 22, to seal a five-wicket win with a ball to spare.
Critchley finished on 38 not out off 17 balls in Yorkshire’s third defeat from seven North Group games, leaving them on eight points and still inside the top four quarter-final qualifying places.
They get an immediate opportunity to bounce back as the two teams meet at Emerald Headingley tomorrow (6.30pm) in the game rescheduled because of England’s football World Cup semi-final earlier this month.
It is the first of three successive home games for the Vikings, who have an excellent record on their home patch.
They have only lost twice in two-and-a-half seasons of the Blast, although ironically both came against their next two opponents – Derbyshire last year and Leicestershire in 2016.
The Foxes visit Headingley on Tuesday, as do Northamptonshire on Friday.
“It’s a big week for us,” said Gale. “We have three games, and three home games as well.
“Everyone is beating everyone in this group, and that’s what makes it more disappointing to lose. When you get a chance, you need to take it.
“But we have a good record on our home patch, so we’ll fancy them (Derbyshire) at our place.”
On Saturday, David Willey hit 55 and spinners Azeem Rafiq and Adil Rashid struck twice apiece.
Both sides lost momentum in their innings on a sluggish pitch. Yorkshire were 109-2 after 12 overs and posted 166-8 and Derbyshire 42-1 in the fifth before falling to 106-5 after 15.
A lot of Gale’s frustration came because this defeat left him looking back at last year’s campaign when Yorkshire suffered a number of away defeats in games they should have won, ultimately preventing them from qualifying for the quarter-finals.
He said: “In T20 cricket, you almost sort of feel you’re taking two steps forward and one back at times after such good a performance (against Birmingham on Friday).
“I thought we did a lot of good stuff, but when it was time to be clinical our skills let us down.
“This is always a tricky place to come, we knew that. We talked at length about how we were going to play and go about things.
“I thought the back end of our innings we should have got 170 or 175. But, needing 40 odd off the last three overs, we should have been able to close it out with the ball.
“Brez has done it twice for us (closed games out). He did it at Durham and Worcester. It was the right decision to bowl him. I back him all day.
“We knew it would be a tough and tacky pitch and that par score was 160. But we were trying to get as close to 180 as we could after the start.
“We just lost a bit of momentum towards the back end of the innings.”
Team news
Jack Brooks, who made a bright start to this season’s Vitality Blast and was targeting a run in the white-ball competition, comes back in to the squad in place of leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Test captain Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Rashid are all on international duty with England ahead Wednesday’s first Test against India.
Matthew Fisher is making good progress but remains sidelined with a toe injury sustained on England Lions duty.
13-MAN SQUAD TO FACE DERBYSHIRE FALCONS.
Gary Ballance
Tim Bresnan
Harry Brook
Jack Brooks
Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Adam Lyth
Steven Patterson ©
Liam Plunkett
Azeem Rafiq
Jonny Tattersall (WK)
Jordan Thompson
Kane Williamson
David Willey
Match statistics
- Derbyshire have won only one of their last four T20 matches at Headingley.
- The feat of winning 16 T20 matches against Derbyshire represents Yorkshire’s best record against any county.
- Derbyshire’s highest total in a T20 match in Yorkshire is 222 for five, made in 2010, but Yorkshire have never passed 200 in a home match against the same opponents.
- Batsmen from each of the two counties have scored a century in T20 matches in Yorkshire but none have done so in Derbyshire.
- Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher took five for 22 in a T20 match against Derbyshire at Headingley but no one has taken five wickets in an innings for Derbyshire against Yorkshire.
Milestones
Potential batting milestones in Yorkshire v Derbyshire on 30th Jul 2018
TT Bresnan needs 1 runs to reach 1500 runs in Twenty20 matches
GS Ballance needs 32 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches at Leeds
GC Wilson needs 40 runs to reach 3000 runs in Twenty20 matches
JE Root needs 80 runs to reach 1500 runs in Twenty20 matches
AJ Hodd needs 100 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches
KS Williamson needs 102 runs to reach 4000 runs in Twenty20 matches
D Smit needs 114 runs to reach 1000 runs in Twenty20 matches
MJJ Critchley needs 115 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches
JA Leaning needs 117 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches at Leeds
GC Viljoen needs 143 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches
AZ Lees needs 143 runs to reach 1000 runs in Twenty20 matches
WL Madsen needs 147 runs to reach 500 runs in Twenty20 matches against Yorkshire
Potential bowling milestones in Yorkshire v Derbyshire on 30th Jul 2018
Azeem Rafiq needs 3 wickets to reach 100 wickets in Twenty20 matches
Azeem Rafiq needs 6 wickets to reach 50 wickets in Twenty20 matches at Leeds
JA Brooks needs 9 wickets to reach 50 wickets in Twenty20 matches
Vitality Blast statistics
Vitality Blast standings
The opposition – Derbyshire Falcons
- T20 record – Derbyshire have never appeared at Finals Day.
- Last season’s quarter-final was only the second time they have reached the last eight.
- Last season – Second in the North Group with eight wins and 17 points from 14 games.
Captain – It is expected Gary Wilson will continue to lead the Falcons.
Overseas Players – Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) and Lockie Ferguson (NZ)
