Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Maddie Ward and her opposite number, the Middlesex captain Saskia Horley, pose with the Vitality Blast 2 trophy at the toss.
Yorkshire were undone by a damaging top-order collapse as they lost this evening’s Vitality Blast 2 final to Middlesex at Wantage Road, Northampton.
The White Rose, afternoon winners in the semi-final against Glamorgan, slipped to 44-5 after 10 overs and scrambled to a total of 101-9.
Captain Maddie Ward top-scored with 39 off 35 balls, but her side suffered their first defeat of the competition having won their previous nine games, including all eight group games to finish top of the North.
Middlesex were able to chase their target with significant comfort, inside 14 overs, winning the battle of the North Group and South Group winners to claim their first title of the professional county-led era.
Opener Finty Trussler top-scored with a dynamic 52 not out off 45 balls with six fours and two sixes. She was supported by Issy Routledge, who added an unbeaten 31 to two earlier wickets with spin.
Every credit to Middlesex, who won both of their matches today by 10 wickets. Their semi-final success against Leicestershire came as they chased a revised target of 108 in 14 overs.
This was only Yorkshire’s second defeat of the season against Tier 2 opposition, them also beaten by Tier 1 Bears in the early-season Vitality County T20 Cup.
Spin was damaging to Yorkshire, who just failed to get going with bat, ball and in the field.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com Rebecca Duckworth on the drive in the final this evening.
Seven of their nine wickets fell to that discipline.
The left-arm spin of Rachana Cambampaty accounted for three wickets, while Saskia Horley and Hannah Davis struck once apiece and Routledge twice.
Coach Rich Pyrah spoke in the week about favouring playing in the second semi-final today, but perhaps the fact that rain affected the first semi-final between Middlesex and Leicestershire was a factor in Yorkshire’s batting performance.
The day’s schedule was pushed back as a result of the rain. Yorkshire only had 70 minutes to prepare between the two matches, and they were on the back foot right from the off.
A small factor? Probably. The main reason Yorkshire lost? Absolutely not.
As well as being good with the ball, Middlesex were excellent in the field.
Their performance with the ball and in the field echoed Yorkshire’s display against Glamorgan this afternoon.
Only three White Rose batters reached double figures; Ward, who was inventive and hit four fours, Rebecca Duckworth with 12 and Ria Fackrell with a late unbeaten 11 which at least helped her side up beyond the 100-mark.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Captain Maddie Ward top-scored with a lone-hand 39.
Yorkshire slipped to 14-3 inside four overs.
Georgie Boyce clipped Horley’s off-spin to mid-on in the second over before Sterre Kalis cut Katie Wolfe’s seam to point.
And when Lauren Winfield-Hill was bowled pulling at a ball which seemed to keep a touch low from Routledge’s off-spin, Yorkshire were in real bother.
Ward came in at the fall of the second wicket and played nicely. She was inventive in facing 35 balls, hitting three boundaries.
Unfortunately, she just couldn’t get any support.
Duckworth was run out having been sent back when looking for a sharp single to cover, and when Ami Campbell was bowled by a beauty from the leg-spin of Davis for a golden duck next ball, Yorkshire were 44-5 after 10 overs.
Left-armer Cambampaty picked the perfect time to record her season’s best figures in all cricket, and she took three of the last four wickets to fall.
She had Olivia Thomas caught and bowled, Beth Langston caught at long-on and Rachel Slater bowled off the last ball of the innings. Sandwiched in between, Routledge bowled Ward on the reverse sweep.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire take to the field at the start of their defence of 102 against MIddlesex.
Unfortunately, from there, Middlesex eased to their target in stress-free manner.
While Yorkshire came into this day as the favourites, Middlesex were not far behind them having won seven of their eight group matches added to the semi-final win against the Foxes.
Routledge and Trussler broke the back of the chase early, reaching 46-0 after six overs of powerplay.
Trussler led the way.
Just out of the powerplay, she slog-swept Fackrell’s off-spin for six over mid-wicket and did similar to Ward’s off-spin shortly afterwards as she moved to 38 out of 76-0 after 10 overs.
While Trussler attacked, Routledge played the supporting hand as Yorkshire desperately searched for a way back into things.
Trussler reached her fifty with the winning boundary.
Yorkshire have an immediate chance for revenge. They face Middlesex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Headingley on Saturday.
Yorkshire coach Rich Pyrah said: “It’s been an excellent competition. To win nine out of nine going into the final was really pleasing. The disappointing thing for us is that we didn’t show up in the final at all.
“After the powerplay, we were four down and it was game over then, really.
“Middlesex are a good team. They’ve shown that this year by winning the majority of their games. So we had to be on it.
“Whether it’s because we didn’t handle the Finals Day and only having an hour off in between, we don’t know. But we’ve got to learn from it, and that’s the bottom line.
“It’s been a great start, but we’ve got to make sure that when we come into it next time we’re better.
“We’ll digest this over a period of time and probably speak about how we can be better and how we can make sure that the next time we’re in this position we are properly switched on and engaged in the game and somebody grabs it by the scruff of the neck.
“As a club, we’re ambitious. We’re at the start of our journey, and we want to be winning trophies, not Tier 2 but Tier 1 in years to come. We’ve got to learn.”
