Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com. Matt Milnes starred with seven wickets, including a hat-trick, at Hove today.
Matt Milnes described Yorkshire’s performance in beating Sussex at Hove as “brilliant” as they all but sealed a home semi-final in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Milnes claimed a List A career best 7-38 from 10 overs in Sussex’s 284-9.
His haul – the third best by a Yorkshire bowler in this format – also included the county’s sixth List A hat-trick. He is the fifth White Rose bowler to achieve that feat as well.
Milnes was delighted for those reasons, clearly, but also because the county can now start planning for a home semi-final at Scarborough next Sunday.
With a four-point gap to three teams below them – Somerset, Warwickshire and Middlesex – with only one group game remaining, and a vastly superior net run-rate, it would take a miracle to prevent that.
“It was a pretty good day obviously, to get the win and pretty much get the home semi on Sunday,” said Milnes.
“We were brilliant today.
“We set the tone early on, bowling pretty well up front.
“The pitch offered a tiny bit up front, but I think it was a pretty good wicket to bat on the whole day.
“The lads backed me and Cliffy up beautifully. Hilly and Rev bowled brilliantly. And then we did a steady job of closing it out at the end.
“Then, the way the guys approached that innings there was just high class.
“Imam is class. Every game, it’s just a pleasure to watch.
“And obviously Wharts. That partnership with those guys, Wharts played beautifully. I’m devastated for him that he didn’t get a hundred, but I’m sure it’s just around the corner.
“The two lads at the end as well – Rev and Hilly – two little cameos to finish it off.”
Yorkshire were tested at various times today and had to come through tricky periods in the game to win for the sixth time in seven.
“Every time we’ve won, I think we’ve won through different positions, which naturally gives you confidence,” said Milnes.
“There’s a lot of confident lads in the group at the minute.
“The batting unit’s very confident, and you can see by the way they approach their innings – how controlled it all looks.”
And on his own display, Milnes said: “The amount of dark days I’ve had in the last two years, to have a couple of good days in the last month. I can’t put it into words really. It’s such a nice feeling.
“I’ve been dying for these moments in the last two years when I’ve been in the gym helplessly watching the lads go about their stuff. Just to be a part of it now, I’m just loving every second of it.”
Milnes joked that “I will probably get a bit of stick from both parties” as he gets set to head to face Kent at Canterbury on Tuesday, a county he will rejoin in the winter after three years at Headingley.
But he will be putting that to one side for now.
“I absolutely love these lads,” he added, of his Yorkshire team-mates. “The dressing room is absolute quality.
“Everybody wants each other to do well, and it’s a fantastic, fantastic dressing room with a lot of talented lads.
“I’m just desperate to win this competition with this group. For me, that would be a great way to sign off.”
