Picture by Bruce Rollinson/SWPix.com. Dom Bess and Haseeb Hameed at the toss.
Anthony McGrath reflected on a lack of late runs as a key reason why Yorkshire fell short in today’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup quarter-final against Nottinghamshire at York.
Notts’ recovered from 1-3 to chase 274, winning by three wickets with eight balls to spare.
Kyle Verreynne and Jack Haynes both scored centuries, the former 105 and the latter 116 not out. They shared 154 for the fifth wicket from 55-4, with Haynes and Dillon Pennington later finishing things off after Verreynne had fallen.
Will Bennison impressed with a career best 91 for Yorkshire, but he was the first of six wickets to fall inside the last 13 overs of an innings which stumbled from 194-3 to 273-9. Pennington struck four times and later finished 22 not out.
“I think we were short with the bat from where we were,” said McGrath.
“Having lost the toss we would have bowled. We knew it was probably going to get easier. I thought we were in a great position, 190-3 with about 12 overs left.
“Really, we should have got 300. That would probably have been enough. We probably just pushed the button a little bit too early and then lost wickets.
“You’ve got to give them credit.
“Hundreds win games with a bat, they Verreynne and Haynes both got hundreds and batted brilliantly there.
“But I can’t fault our lads, we fought all the way through. We even managed to get three wickets in there where the game looked pretty much gone.”
Yorkshire have now unfortunately lost two quarter-finals this season, the first coming in the Vitality Blast at home to Somerset at Headingley last month.
Clearly devastated, a view shared by his players in the Clifton Park changing rooms, McGrath refused to be too downbeat about the progress of his side.
“As difficult as it is to take, and I know the lads are shattered in there, it’s just about getting over that line,” he said.
“The more times you get in these positions, you learn. We’ve had a young lad in Will Bennison today. He’ll take a lot from his knock, but he’ll reflect and see what their two batters did.
“And most of our lads as well.
“So, yes, it is disappointing, but it’s a matter of getting to these positions, which we are now.
“We’ve got to three knockout games in the last two years, so consistency is there.
“It’s just taking that next step now.
“But when you get down to the last six, last four, they’re the better teams.
“I’ve seen Notts’ from afar for about eight or nine years, being relegated, being down the bottom, but they’ve stuck with their core group and you can see what’s happening.
“I can see the signs. It won’t mean a lot to our supporters, losing in a quarter-final, but the growth’s there for me. A lot to be proud of.”
