The majority of the focus following Thursday’s convincing Vitality Blast win over Durham at Headingley was on five-wicket leg-spinner Jafer Chohan.
But for coach Ottis Gibson, there was another encouraging and important contribution from a youngster which very much flew under the radar.
“I thought Ben Cliff bowled really well up front with the new ball,” said the coach.
Fast bowler Cliff, 21, has this campaign played his first three first-team T20 matches. He has claimed one wicket in each of them, with Thursday his best performance.
He returned 1-18 from three overs as Durham were bowled out for 107, getting opener Graham Clark caught at mid-off by his captain Shan Masood.
Unfortunately, the Halifax-born quick was denied the chance to build on that performance at Emirates Old Trafford last night, with the Roses clash with Lancashire abandoned because of rain.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Fast bowler Ben Cliff has impressed Ottis Gibson in his first three Blast appearances.
But he shouldn’t have to wait long because the Vikings are back in action at Visit Worcestershire New Road tomorrow afternoon (2.30pm) to take on Worcestershire Rapids.
Gibson continued: “Cliffy bowled very well (against Durham).
“Even at Chesterfield, I thought he bowled well when Derbyshire were having a slog (1-27 from three overs).
“It was good that he backed that up with a really good spell the other night.
“He assessed the conditions and didn’t go searching too much. With the way our spin operates, he can actually afford to leak a little bit. But he bowled a really good ball to get a wicket.
“And we haven’t seen him at the back end yet.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Cliff congratulates Jafer Chohan on one of his five wickets v Durham on Thursday. Ottis Gibson has praised both youngsters.
“He’s got fantastic skills with the slower ball and things like that and bowls decent yorkers as well.
“There’s still a hell of a lot more to come from him.”
Whilst talking about Cliff, Gibson also confirmed that fellow quick Conor McKerr has returned to Surrey following the conclusion of his loan spell with the county. But he could return to Headingley to finish the season in Championship cricket.
Reflecting on the win against Durham, by seven wickets chasing 108, Gibson said: “Jafer was magnificent, even bowling with his broken thumb.
“The googly to get Michael Jones was fantastic.
“He did well on his birthday, and we’re very proud of him.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Conor McKerr has returned to Surrey following his loan spell.
“In the dressing room, we spoke about adapting to conditions. A couple of days before that at Chesterfield, we took too long to adapt and were 30-5 or whatever we were. We’d lost the game then.
“Against Durham, I felt we adapted to the conditions.
“Our spinners bowled really well and have been our engine room all season.
“The experience of Lyth and Malan at the top with the bat then took the sting out of what Durham could have thrown at us.”
Expanding on Chohan, who returned his 5-14, the Bajan said: “Last year, we saw something in Jafer that we liked and put him on a contract.
“He played most of the Blast games last year and had a good time.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jafer Chohan will hope to build on his Thursday night five-for when Yorkshire travel to New Road tomorrow.
“Earlier this year, I felt he bowled a bit defensive, and I said, ‘That’s not what I see in you. I see you as an attacking option. If they want to hit you, let them. Then your skill can take over’.
He’s got the googly, the slider, he’s got everything, and I think he’s got a bright future in the game.”
Unfortunately, the rain-off at Emirates Old Trafford last night has made Yorkshire’s task of qualifying for the quarter-finals tougher, but that task remains far from impossible.
They sit seventh in the North Group on 11 points with two games remaining.
The Vikings are one point behind fourth-placed Leicestershire, who have a marginally superior net run-rate. Sandwiched in between are Northamptonshire on 12 points and Derbyshire on 11. They both have three games left to play.
Yorkshire’s two remaining games are against Worcestershire away and Nottinghamshire at Headingley, next Friday. They are two teams who are second-bottom and bottom respectively and are out of quarter-finals contention.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ottis Gibson is backing Yorkshire to win two from two to keep their Blast hopes alive.
“You wouldn’t hear me speaking about where these two teams are in the table,” added Gibson. “It’s a T20 game and anything can happen.
“It’s about us turning up at Worcester and turning it on, playing to our potential with the sort of hunger and desire to get the two points we need.
“If we can get the win at Worcester and then the win at home on Friday, then we’ve done everything we can do. If we get to 15 points and that’s not good enough, that’s the way it is.
“If we do qualify, we’ll have got to a quarter-final and achieved what we set out to do at the start of the season.
“Once you get into the quarter-finals, anything can happen, as we saw at Surrey two years ago.”
Worcestershire, who have won four of 12 compared to Yorkshire’s five from the same number, beat North Group leaders Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston last night by 55 runs defending 187-6.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Former Viking Matthew Waite will almost certainly line up against his home county tomorrow.
Highly-rated young opener Kashif Ali top-scored with 46 before former Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Waite claimed 4-29 as the Bears replied with 132 all out.
Yorkshire beat Worcestershire by eight wickets at Headingley on the opening night of this season’s Blast at the end of May. They bowled the Rapids out for just 101.
