Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Will Luxton was in the runs at York today.
Will Luxton was thrilled with Yorkshire’s Roses victory at York today, one which helped them take a significant step towards the knockout stages in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Yorkshire won by seven wickets chasing 295 against the Red Rose county at a sold-out Clifton Park.
It was their third straight win at the start of Group B, which they lead, and it was also the first time the county have won three successive List A matches since 2018.
Luxton contributed a fine 77 off 63 balls in Yorkshire’s reply to 294-7, and he shared 153 for the second wicket with centurion Imam-Ul-Haq, who led the way with 117 off 124.
That was Imam’s second hundred in as many matches, added to an opening day fifty.
Luxton said: “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start, really (to the campaign).
“We know we’re good at Scarborough, but we’ve struggled in the last few years at York. So today was a big day for us. Luckily, we came out and played a good game.
“They started off really well, which they’re allowed to do. But we held it well and came back nicely.
“It’s always tough at York to know how to go about it in a 50-over game (with the toss).
“It’s quite tough because it does nip and is a little bit slow. But once you get in, it becomes easier. The outfield is so quick, and it’s obviously not very big.
“Luckily we won the toss, stuck them in, and obviously they started well, like I said before. But we held them to a decent score.
“I personally thought they could have got a massive score. But we said, ‘290, it was about par’.
“We back ourselves to chase, but we needed someone to get a hundred, and Imam did again. It was great to watch.”
Imam is now the competition’s leading run-scorer with 331 at an average of 110.33.
“Unbelievable,” said Luxton. “Just the way he goes, the way he just builds his innings, it makes it look so easy.
“He’s never in any danger, he knocks it about, gets to a hundred and sees us home.
“The other day at Northampton, it was massive (to watch and learn from him).
“Seeing how he went about getting 160, because that’s a massive score.
“It never looked like he was rushed.”
Luxton’s innings today was a key part of why Yorkshire chased so comfortably.
Lancashire started well with the ball and restricted Yorkshire to 39-1 after 10 overs.
But, in the 11th over, Luxton hit the lion’s share of 21 off seamer Will Williams to change the momentum of the innings. Off the first four balls of the over, he hit a six and three fours.
Luxton added: “The coach (Anthony McGrath) is so good at saying, ‘Go and play your own game’.
“That’s just the natural thing for me. “It’s just see the ball and if it’s there, try and hit it. Then you don’t have to think about much else other than that.”
