Harry Brook and Dawid Malan confidently steered Yorkshire to a six-wicket victory over Durham during today’s fourth afternoon at Emirates Riverside, with the county getting their Bob Willis Trophy campaign off to the ideal start.
Rain delayed play until 1.45pm, with Yorkshire requiring another 68 runs with seven wickets in hand as they pursued a 171 target to secure 19 points from this North Group opener.
New signing Malan and 21-year-old Brook had shared an unbroken 45 up to stumps on day three, and they advanced their fourth-wicket partnership to 98 before the former fell for 73 off 105 balls with only 17 more needed.
The 68 runs required were achieved in only 10.4 overs of play today, with Brook advancing from 23 to 66 not out.
Although this was largely a match for the bowlers, with Yorkshire’s four-man seam attack relentless in both innings, the contributions of Malan and Brook should not be underestimated.
They posted 30 and 41 respectively in the first innings as well.
Brook was the dominant partner during today’s play, finishing with a total of six fours and four sixes in his 90-ball innings. Malan had started with 50 to his name.
Brook pulled sixes off Chris Rushworth and Paul Coughlin on the way to an 85-ball fifty, while Malan also clubbed Alex Lees’ part-time off-spin over long-on for six.
Malan fell to Lees when he tried to hit a second six and holed out to long-on (154-4 in the 43rd over of the innings).
Brook disdainfully finished the game with a four to long-leg and then two sixes over long-off in three balls against Gareth Harte’s medium pacers.
Yorkshire’s next outing is in this competition against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, starting on Saturday.
