Yorkshire all-rounder Jordan Thompson said
“It is frustrating (we can’t qualify), but we can’t really do much about the weather we had against Derby and Lancs.
“With the team we’ve had, losing Dawid Malan to England and getting Jonny Bairstow coming and going again, we’ve done really well.
“We’ve had young lads make their debuts and stand up.
“Durham was a good win and at Notts as well – we defended 180 there.
“The wins we’ve got, we’ve really worked hard for.
“It’s been a good day for us.
“It was tough with the bat. I got going quite quickly before lunch, but it got a bit gloomy after lunch when we turned the lights on and was difficult.
“It was tricky to score. Myself and Tatts (Jonny Tattersall) had to dig in and build a partnership, and that’s what we did.
“I didn’t actually bowl as well as I’d like to. Looking at the highlights, you’d think I’d bowled pretty well, but a couple of the wickets weren’t the best. But that happens sometimes, with the pressure built up from the other three lads, who did bowl well.”
5.53pm Close of play confirmed.
5.36pm We are off for bad light at 78-5 – still 16 overs to bowl. Leicestershire trail by 50.
5.14pm The wickets continue to fall as Yorkshire charge towards victory. Swindells has gone, caught behind off Fisher. It’s 53-5.
4.58pm Patel chips Thompson to cover. It’s 47-4.
4.56pm In case you have been watching on the stream and have noticed that Yorkshire’s players are wearing black armbands today, it is a mark of respect following the death of Martyn Moxon’s mother over the last 48 hours.
4.42pm Dearden gone! He’s been caught behind off Thompson. 35-3.
4.36pm Azad gone! He’s been caught behind down leg by Tattersall off Thompson for 11. 34-2.
4.30pm Leicestershire are 30-1 from 12 of 42 overs to be bowled tonight. Looks like Azad has just offered a tough one-handed chance down leg to Tattersall off Thompson. Olivier also into the attack now.
3.52pm Great start to Leicestershire’s second innings, and it’s that man Ben Coad again. He’s trapped Sam Evans lbw. 4-1 in the third.
Tea Report Yorkshire’s final hopes in the Bob Willis Trophy have been ended.
Despite their dominant position in the ongoing last round North Group clash with Leicestershire at Emerald Headingley, the fact they have been bowled out for 252 in their first innings means that even with a win they can’t accrue enough bonus points to advance.
Yorkshire needed to reach 400 in their first-innings reply to Leicester’s 124 in order to give themselves a chance to reach 90 points in the North, a mark that is likely to secure a place at Lord’s later this month.
But they fell short just before tea on day three, meaning already qualified South Group winners Essex will face either Central rivals Worcestershire or Somerset, who are currently locked in battle at New Road.
The White Rose were hurt by collapses at either end of their innings.
During the early stages of day three they slipped to 46-4 before a recovery highlighted by a 116-stand for the sixth wicket either side of lunch between Jonny Tattersall (71) and Jordan Thompson (62).
When Tattersall lost his off-stump to Ben Mike, Yorkshire were 237-6, the first of their last five wickets to fall for only 15 runs.
Thompson was trapped lbw as one of three wickets for off-spinner Arron Lilley, while Mike also struck again to wrap up the home innings and signal an early tea.
With pre-game North Group leaders Derbyshire struggling in their game against Lancashire, a win could still give Yorkshire the consolation prize of topping the group.
3.24pm Coad gone! That’s it I’m afraid, Yorkshire are out of final contention as Coad is superbly caught at point by Sam Evans off Mike, 4. Yorkshire 252 all out, leading by 128. Pretty sure that’s tea as well.
3.18pm Yorkshire on the verge of elimination from final contention. Olivier caught at slip off Lilley. 250-9.
3.15pm Thompson’s excellent 62 is ended by Lilley, who traps him lbw. 250-8.
3.08pm OUT! Fisher c&b Lilley, 1. 239-7. Things getting tricky now.
3pm Ahhh!!! Tattersall’s gone. He’s been bowled by Mike for 71, leaving Yorkshire 237-6, leading by 113. That ends a stand of 116 with Thompson, who has 53.
2.47pm Yorkshire’s first port of call – the race for 400 – rolls on in encouraging fashion. Thompson has just reached his 86-ball fifty, a fine effort. 232-5, a lead of 108.
2.32pm Yorkshire 225-5, leading by 101. Tattersall 65 and Thompson 48 have shared a superb stand of 104.
2.07pm Yorkshire have a batting point at 200-5 in the 53rd over, a stand of 79 with Tattersall and Thompson. They have 54 and 34 respectively as the players head for a sanitiser break.
1.54pm Tattersall has reached his fifty, an excellent 82-ball innings with 10×4s. Yorkshire 196-5 in the 50th over. Thompson has 33, and the pair have shared 75.
1.25pm Yorkshire 170-5 in the early stages of the afternoon. Tattersall 39 and Thompson 24.
Lunch report Yorkshire require something extremely special from their middle and lower order if they are to maintain hopes of reaching the Bob Willis Trophy final.
With the way games are going elsewhere, including Essex’s win over Middlesex to top the South, Yorkshire know they have to reach 400 for a maximum of five batting bonus points in their first innings and then to complete victory over Leicestershire at Emerald Headingley in the ongoing final North Group fixture.
If they don’t they are out of contention, and Yorkshire are currently 164-5 from 42 overs at lunch on day three, replying to 124.
They started day three on 36-2 and slipped to 46-4 inside the first seven overs of play.
Left-arm quick Dieter Klein had Will Fraine caught at mid-on after a miscued pull and Tom Loten caught behind after edging a loose cut.
Harry Brook (53) and Jonny Tattersall then shared 75 to steady things, dominating a Leicester attack struggling for line and length.
Brook was particularly fluent, pulling Klein for six and sublimely on-driving Ben Mike for four on the way to a 57-ball fifty.
But, unfortunately, he fell three balls later as he edged a drive at Alex Evans to second slip, where Colin Ackermann took a low catch to leave Yorkshire at 121-5 after 33 overs.
Tattersall has been busy for his 39 not out and has shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 43 with Jordan Thompson (20 not out).
12.42pm – Lunch Lunch. Yorkshire are 164-5 from 42 overs, advancing from 36-2 overnight. They lead by 40, with Tattersall 39 and Thompson 20.
12.27pm Essex’s win against Middlesex means Yorkshire have to get 400 and win this game to stand any chance of reaching the final. They are 149-5 in reply to Leicester’s 124. Tattersall’s 34 and Thompson 10.
12.05pm Lovely fifty for Brook, off 57 balls with 8×4s and 1×6s. He has helped Yorkshire move to 121-4 replying to 124.
Oh no. He’s gone!! Caught at second slip low done off Evans. Falls for 53. 121-5.
11.42am Yorkshire have moved to 97-4, with Brook 36 and Tattersall 16. They have shared 51 and counting.
11.32am Essex need only 52 to beat Middlesex at Chelmsford. If they do, Yorkshire know they have to get 400 here and win the game to have any chance of a final spot. Yorkshire are 92-4, with Brook and Tattersall having shared 46.
11.20am Yorkshire move to 77-4 after 23 overs, with Brook having just pulled Klein for four and then six in two balls. He has 23 to Tattersall’s 11.
11am Klein strikes again, and this time it’s courtesy of an edged cut behind from Loten. Loose shot, unfortunately. 46-4 in the 19th over.
10.41am Just the start Yorkshire didn’t want. Fraine has gone. He’s been caught by mid-on running backwards (Mike) after a miscued pull at Klein, 13. Yorkshire 38-3 in the 15th over.
10.32am Yorkshire are 38-2 after the completion of the 13th over of their innings, unfinished from the end of day one. Klein and Griffiths isn operation for Leicestershire, with Fraine and Loten at the crease for the White Rose.
9.53pm Right, we have had our calculators out…..
Assuming Essex win against Middlesex at Chelmsford, Yorkshire would need to get 400 in 110 overs for maximum batting points and win to keep their hopes of a final alive.
9.50am Here’s a look around the grounds before we get going today…..
NORTH GROUP
Lancashire 219 v Derbyshire 120-7, Liverpool
Nottinghamshire 251-2 v Durham 294, Trent Bridge
CENTRAL GROUP
Glamorgan 203 v Warwickshire 186, Sophia Gardens
Worcestershire 200 v Somerset 251 and 16-1, New Road
ABANDONED (Covid-19 related) Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire, Bristol
SOUTH GROUP
Essex 236 v Middlesex 138 and 123-6, Chelmsford
Kent 170 v Hampshire 191 and 108-5, Canterbury
Surrey 171-4 v Sussex 415, Oval
Good morning from Emerald Headingley, where it is a much brighter scene ahead of day three of our clash with Leicestershire.
The players are out there warming up, and we look good for a 10.30am start. There is a bit of blue sky peeping through the clouds, so fingers crossed.
Yorkshire will begin the day – a 98-over day – on 36-2 in their reply to Leicestershire’s 124.
There is still plenty of time to win this game, which the hosts need to do to stand any chance of advancing to Lord’s. They need as many bonus points as possible, which would give them enough time and runs to play with to bowl Leicester out tomorrow.
Yorkshire are reliant on results elsewhere around the country to finish top of the North Group and then as one of the two best group winners in order to reach that final.
And we should have a fair idea by the end of the day how that bid is looking given other games are more advanced than this. We will give you an update on scores elsewhere before the start of play.
This fixture is available, free to all, on our live stream, which is posted on our match centre page.
Enjoy the day.
