By John Virr – 2nd X1 Scorer
GAME 1
Game 1 was a “Group” game whereas Game 2 was a friendly. Winning the toss Yorkshire elected to bowl, however 24 from the first over wasn’t foreseen. Jones and Hurst took the total to 54 from only 22 balls before the latter was caught at deep mid-wicket by Finlay Bean off Dan Moriarty. This became 66-2 when Ben Cliff took a catch at mid-off to dismiss Keaton Jennings off the bowling of George Hill.
Hurst plundered 66 from only 32 balls before being caught by Hill off Jafer Choham (135-3) in the 13th over. McDermott made 35 from 29 before becoming wicket number 2 for Moriarty, stumped by Harry Duke. Shadab Khan made 15 from 12 and Blatherwick 29 from 16 including 4 sixes as Lancashire totalled 205-6.
Their bowling was opened by England internationals, Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood and Yash Vagadia was caught for 7 (26-1). Sam Whiteman and Will Luxton added 47 in 29 balls before Luxton was caught at deep square leg for 35 from 24 balls. Hill and Bean were dismissed and it was left, mainly, to Whiteman who made 66 from 37 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes to get near their total.
Whiteman was caught at cover and despite late runs from Duke 29 not out and Ben Coad 17 not out we fell 20 runs short.
GAME 2
Changes were made to both sides with Yorkshire batting first. Owen Smith, Jawad Akhtar and George Hill were all dismissed within the first 5 overs and at 69-7 any sort of defendable total looked unlikely. Dom Bess made a sensible 37 from 29 with 3 fours and a six and added 51 with Ben Coad for the 8th wicket in 34 balls.
Coad finished on 29 from 21 balls and Yorkshire closed on 143 all out.
Jones and Hurst again got our visitors off to “a flyer” adding 47 in 26 balls before the former was bowled by Ben Cliff for 37 from 19 balls – Hurst followed 2 balls later. George Bell made 21, Singh 11 and Fonseka 15 however we kept taking wickets but at 114-5 another win for Lancashire looked likely – they needed 30 from 40 balls.
However during that period only 1 boundary four was scored and we entered the last 2 overs with 10 required and 3 wickets in hand. Isaac Bepey conceded only 3 and took the wicket of Aspinwall leaving 7 required from the last over which was bowled by Ben Cliff – he conceded only 3 and Yorkshire recorded a victory by 3 runs.
Next action is a single T20 at Harrogate on Thursday 25.6.26 starting at 1.30 pm
