Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath is hoping Yorkshire can get on a roll in the Blast, which continues for them at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Yorkshire head to Trent Bridge to tackle Nottinghamshire Outlaws tomorrow evening on the back of what Anthony McGrath described as a “great all-round performance”.
The White Rose are on the board in the Vitality Blast, beating Leicestershire by a thumping 106-run margin at Headingley on Sunday afternoon.
Their first win came on the back of three successive defeats in the North Group and was achieved thanks to standout performances from captain Dawid Malan with 88, Will Luxton with a career best 62 and Jafer Chohan with four wickets.
Having defended a 213-7 total with significant comfort, the White Rose will now tackle the Outlaws (6.30pm) knowing that this is a chance to turn their campaign around.
The Notts clash is the first of three in five days for Yorkshire, who welcome the Bears to Headingley on Friday night and Durham to York on Sunday.
“We said, didn’t we, you’re probably going to need seven wins (to qualify for the quarter-finals), so you don’t want to leave it too late,” said head coach McGrath.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Dawid Malan en-route to a superb 88 off 48 balls against Leicestershire.
“We know we’ve got six games after the Championship games at the end of the month, but you don’t want to leave it too late. It would be nice to win all of them this week.
“We have to start somewhere. What’s gone has gone. We’ve tried to be as calm as possible within the camp, and I think the players responded.
“They went out and, with 200 on the board and bowling them out for 100, it was the perfect response.
“We’ve just got to go and back that up now at Trent Bridge.
“It’s just replicating them performances.
“Even with some top players missing, if we play like that, we’re going to be a very, very dangerous team.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Will Luxton posted his maiden career T20 fifty against the Foxes at Headingley.
McGrath was full of praise for the trio of standout performances against Leicestershire, headlined by captain Malan hitting his 88 off 48 balls and passing 10,000 career T20 runs in the process.
“I know he’s been a bit frustrated in the first couple of games, but we saw how he played at Birmingham. We just couldn’t quite get him on strike in the last five overs on Friday night,” said the coach.
“He showed all his class, and I think he complemented Luxy.”
As for 22-year-old Luxton, whose first career T20 fifty came at the ninth attempt, he continued: “In training, he’s clearing these boundaries comfortably. It’s just taking it into a game.
“It’s just continuing to back him and keep the confidence because he’s that type of player who, if he gets in, can take a game away.
“With all the boys, when it does not go to plan, it’s doubling down and saying, ‘Let’s be even more positive’. If you start second-guessing yourself, and we’re changing the method how we want to play, it can get a bit confusing.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Jafer Chohan, who claimed four wickets against Leicestershire, has been praised by Anthony McGrath and Dawid Malan.
“It’s really pleasing that he went out again from ball one and looked to have that authoritativeness in him.”
England hopeful Chohan actually claimed his first wickets of the competition against the Foxes. He struck twice in two balls on two separate occasions.
And McGrath was always confident it was only a matter of time before the leg-spinner gained success.
“Jafer said he was on the phone to his dad saying, ‘I can’t get a wicket’ and those kind of things,” he said. “But he’s not been too far away.
“I keep saying to the players, ‘It will turn’. If we keep positive, things will turn, because they’re good players. So, really pleasing for Jafer.
“Dan Moriarty to get his first wicket as well, which was nice. Will O’Rourke as well was really good. Pleasing signs.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke will hope to build on Sunday’s impressive 1-12 when he faces the Outlaws at Trent Bridge.
Captain Malan was also full of praise for the character shown by Chohan after a frustrating start to his campaign.
Having had a taste of England senior action during the winter when he travelled with the white-ball squad to the Caribbean late last year without playing, Chohan will have no doubt wanted to hit the ground running at the start of the Blast.
However, he is on the board now and has plenty of time remaining to rack up the wickets.
“He’s been such a big part of this team, taking wickets and creating those opportunities for us,” said Malan. “Credit to him for always putting his hand up and wanting to bowl the tough overs.
“He never moans about bowling to the short boundary, he’s always willing to do it, and he’s always willing to take the risk, which makes him such a good bowler.
“I think he’s a hell of a talent.
Picture by Gareth Copley/Getty Images. Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques is one of the Outlaws’ overseas signings for 2025.
“He’s learning from Adil Rashid at the moment. He’s taken him under his wing, and he’s trying to pass the knowledge on to him.
“I think his future is huge, but as with anything to play for England, you’ve got to perform here, and he’s performed incredibly well for Yorkshire over the years.
“Now, the challenge is when the pressure’s on and people are watching you and people are expecting you to take wickets, how you handle that.
“To be fair, I think as a person he’s handled it incredibly well, considering it’s been a tough three games for him.”
Notts have won two, lost two so far in this season’s Blast. Last time out, they were beaten by Worcestershire at Trent Bridge on Saturday, failing to chase 207 in a 25-run loss.
They are captained by opening batter Joe Clarke and have Australian all-rounders Moises Henriques and Daniel Sams as their two overseas players. Former Yorkshire loan fast bowler Conor McKerr signed permanently from Surrey in the winter and has taken two wickets in the first four Blast matches.
