Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com Ria Fackrell and Sterre Kalis celebrate the dismissal of the Rapids’ captain Clare Boycott.
A polished Yorkshire bowling display sucked the life out of Worcestershire’s innings to set up another Vitality Blast victory as the county moved one step closer to Finals Day, winning by seven wickets at Headingley.
The Rapids, 50-over winners here in April, made a bright start to this clash having elected to bat, reaching 35-1 after six overs. But they were strangled by a series of impressive returns, chiefly from two-wicket trio Rachel Slater, Claudie Cooper and Ria Fackrell.
They helped restrict the New Road county to 104-8, making life easy for a batting line-up boosted by the inclusion of club captain Lauren Winfield-Hill and international star Sterre Kalis. The former top-scored with 33 off 25 balls opening the batting as the win was secured in 15.1 overs.
This was North Group leaders Yorkshire’s fourth straight win, all with a bonus point, and they are way out in front on 20 points at the halfway mark in the campaign. The top two from each of the North and South qualify for Finals Day at Wantage Road on July 26. Realistically, Yorkshire fans can start to contemplate their travel plans to Northampton.
Left-arm seamer Slater took the new ball and returned 2-16 from her four overs, while off-spinners Cooper and Fackrell recorded 2-17 apiece against a Rapids side who have now lost all four of their games.
Coach Rich Pyrah opted to leave the captaincy and wicketkeeping duties with Maddie Ward, despite Winfield-Hill’s brief return from her loan spell with Tier 1 side Essex Eagles.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Lauren Winfield-Hill lofts over the top en-route to an opening 33 in pursuit of 105 at Headingley today.
The Tier 1 Blast is currently in the midst of a fortnight’s break, leaving the latter – and Warwickshire loanee Kalis – free to return to their parent county as part of their dual registration.
Rapids captain Clare Boycott opened and top-scored with 35 off 40 balls before wicketkeeper Olivia Gough hit a late 28 not out off 20. Both hit five fours.
It will irk Yorkshire that they bowled 13 wides – effectively the third top-score of the innings – and there was the odd mishap in the field. But, largely, they were very good.
All five bowlers used in the innings, including seamer Jess Woolston and leg-spinner Olivia Thomas, all struck. Academy leg-spinner Thomas continues to impress this summer. In striking once in four overs, she was the most miserly White Rose bowler on display as she only conceded 16 runs.
Both openers were caught behind by Ward. Gwen Davies fell early off Slater – 18-1 in the third over – and Boycott went driving at Fackrell in the 13th as Worcestershire fell to 63-5.
Thomas bowled a śweeping Bryony Gillgrass, Woolston bowled debutant Ebony Tweats and Chloe Hill chipped Slater to mid-off.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Claudie Cooper, who took two wickets today, chats to fans after Yorkshire’s fourth straight Blast win.
The game really swung Yorkshire’s way through the middle of the visitors’ innings when they only added 14 runs for the loss of two wickets from the end of the ninth over to the end of the 14th, falling to 67-5 as Fackrell, Thomas, Cooper and Slater all put the squeeze on.
Hill and Boycott both fell in that period.
Fackrell struck again when she trapped a sweeping Amy Wheeler lbw before Cooper got two in her last over – the 18th – removing Poppy Davies caught off a top-edged sweep at mid-wicket and Phoebe Brett at cover, also off a miscue.
That left the score at 89-8 with 14 balls remaining, with Worcestershire indebted to Gough’s late salvo for at least getting them above the 100-mark.
Winfield-Hill, in her first Blast game for Yorkshire, was then confidently out of the blocks in the chase, indicating a player in excellent touch.
In eight Tier 1 Blast games for Essex over the last few weeks, she has topped 20 in six of them and has standout scores of 69, 42, 36 and 30.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Rachel Slater impressed with two wickets having taken the new ball.
The White Rose ended the powerplay at 49-0, with Winfield-Hill 33, including six boundaries. One was reverse-swept, another lofted high over mid-off’s head.
Unfortunately, however, she fell at the start of the seventh over when caught at mid-wicket off a top-edge trying to slog-sweep Flora Bertwistle’s left-arm spin.
Kalis followed soon after, bowled trying to attack against Jess Beach’s seam, while opener Georgie Boyce was bowled for 17 by Wheeler’s seam – 64-3 in the 12th.
But captain Ward and Ami Campbell confidently saw their side over the line with 22 and 15 not out respectively, sharing an unbroken 41 for the fourth wicket.
Yorkshire are next in action against Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Peterborough Town on Sunday afternoon.
Leg-spinner Olivia Thomas said: “We’re buzzing with that. Four from four, and we’re going really well. Hopefully we can keep ticking along, Finals Day is on the cards and we can go on and win the whole thing.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s leg-spinner Olivia Thomas returned 1-14 from four overs against Worcestershire and continues to impress.
“Winning’s one thing, but winning with a bonus point is another.
“Our plan was just to bowl at the stumps. The more you do that, it limits their scoring options and increases our wicket-taking options. We were quite clear on that, and it paid off through the middle period of their innings.
“Our bowling unit is really strong. In every game, it feels like everyone is taking wickets and not going for many runs at the same time. In T20 cricket, that’s clearly a massive thing.
“We have a really good spinners’ union going on, and I’m enjoying it so much. We pick up things from each other and help each other out. Field placings, plans, we talk through it all.”
