Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. James Wharton congratulates fellow batting hero Will Luxton on reaching his fifty tonight.
Yorkshire v Worcestershire Rapids
Vitality Blast, North Group
Friday July 4, 2025, 6.30pm
Headingley
Toss: Worcestershire won it and elected to bowl first.
Teams – Yorkshire: Dawid Malan c, Will Luxton, Jonny Bairstow w, James Wharton, Will Sutherland, Matthew Revis, Jordan Thompson, Dom Bess, Matt Milnes, Jafer Chohan, Will O’Rourke.
Worcestershire: Brett D’Oliveira c, Isaac Mohammed, Kashif Ali, Adam Hose, Ethan Brookes, Gareth Roderick w, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Waite, Tom Taylor, Fateh Singh, Ben Allison.
Match Summary: Yorkshire claimed a much-needed win – their third of the North Group in nine games – by 41 runs to keep their quarter-final flame flickering.
The White Rose dismantled a Worcestershire side whose own chances of the last eight are now hanging by a thread having conceded a 233-6 total and were bowled out for 192 in 19.1 overs in response.
Yorkshire’s heroes were James Wharton and Will Luxton with 88 and 81 respectively – they both faced 47 balls – and New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke with a maiden five-wicket haul and a superb one-handed diving catch.
But Matt Milnes should also receive huge credit for bowling a wicket maiden in the 17th over of Worcestershire’s chase. It was a truly amazing over in a match which yielded well over 400 runs.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Will O’Rourke is mobbed by his team-mates after taking his fifth wicket this evening.
Match Report: Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan fell early as Yorkshire slipped to 42-2 inside five overs.
Bairstow miscued the fourth ball of the match, from new-ball seamer Tom Taylor, to mid-off, falling for four before Malan followed for eight at the start of the fifth over when he pulled Ben Allison’s seam out to deep square-leg.
But Luxton and Wharton, who united for the best part of 12 overs were outstanding.
Luxton lofted Australian overseas quick Ben Dwarshuis over cover for the first of two early sixes and Wharton hit the left-armer for four fours to end the powerplay with a bang at 67-2.
Even then, Yorkshire were well on the way to yet another 200 plus total at Headingley this season, where the pitches are belters and the outfield is lighting fast.
Luxton and Wharton brought up their century stand in the 13th over of the innings – 142-2. Both had just reached quick-fire fifties, and the visitors will rue two Ben Allison drops in the deep with Luxton on nine and 74.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Matt Milnes bowled an outstanding 17th over in the Worcestershire chase.
Allison did remove him caught at deep cover shortly after the second drop before Wharton and Jordan Thompson – he hit three sixes in the last over in a quick-fire 22 – were run out at the death.
The Rapids needed to posted their highest ever T20 total to turn this game around.
Opener Isaac Mohammed made a quick start with 17. But the Rapids needed much more.
When he miscued a slower ball from O’Rourke behind to Bairstow, it was 24-1 at the start of the third over and the Kiwi was about to entertain in a four-over spell of 5-22.
Kashif Ali then clothed O’Rourke’s second ball to mid-off before the big Kiwi took a stunning one-handed catch diving to his left at short third off Matt Milnes to remove Adam Hose.
At 37-3 in the fourth over, the visitors had a mountain to climb.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s pathway and age-group players were celebrated at the mid-innings interval this evening.
D’Oliveira and Ethan Brookes did give them a chance with a dynamic 83-run stand, the former hitting a trio of sixes all around the ground.
But just when hopes started to increase for the New Road side, with D’Oliveira reaching 50 off 33 balls, Brookes was lbw on the reverse against Jafer Chohan’s leg-spin – 120-4 in the 12th.
And when D’Oliveira dragged O’Rourke out to deep mid-wicket in the next, at 132-5, it felt like game over
Dwarshuis clattered a consolatory 42 not out, and there was a brief thought that another revival was on the cards with the score at 175-5 after 16.
But Matt Milnes saw to that.
He bowled a wicket maiden before O’Rourke had both Matthew Waite and Taylor caught at deep mid-wicket and cover as the four points were safely secured.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s players celebrate their victory.
The Waite catch at deep mid-wicket was a fabulous effort from Wharton in the swirling wind.
Turning Point: The 134 third-wicket partnership between Will Luxton and James Wharton, from 42-2 in the fourth over to 176-3 after 16 put the White Rose in the box seat. It was a sensational stand.
Magic Moment: Matt Milnes wicket-maiden in the 17th over to Gareth Roderick was outstanding. Worcestershire started it on 175-5, with Ben Dwarshuis motoring. But wicketkeeper-batter Roderick floundered against Milnes before slicing the fifth ball of the over, a wide and full ball, out to deep point. That was the killer blow.
Stat of the Match: Yorkshire’s effort with the bat marked the fifth time in eight innings at Headingley this season that teams have posted 200 or more in a Blast innings.
What They Said – James Wharton: “It was a good team performance. Losing the toss and putting 230 on the board is a great effort. I thought everybody batted really well, but we bowled magnificently.
“I thought Matt Milnes’s over near the end (wicket maiden, 17th over) was absolutely unbelievable. Dwarshuis was striking at 300 or whatever it was, so you just never know with a short side. That, for me, was massive.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. James Wharton smoked 88 and then undertook media duties.
“Myself and Luxy (Will Luxton) love batting together. We’ve had a few good partnerships in T20, last year and the year before in the seconds. It was nice to go and do it in a first-team game. I think he’s just going to get better and better with the experiences he’s having this year. He’s unbelievable.
“We’ve got good momentum in all formats, to be fair, and lads are starting to put in good performances.”
What’s Next: Yorkshire travel to Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, on Sunday afternoon (2.30pm) to face bottom-of-the-table Derbyshire Falcons.
