Matthew Revis has urged buoyant Yorkshire to continue playing with confidence as they get set for a pivotal few days in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign at York this week.
The Vikings claimed a superb come-from-behind victory over Essex at Chelmsford yesterday. The hosts were 103-0 in the 10th over before slipping to 221 all out. Revis and co then chased down the target to win by five wickets.
The all-rounder claimed a List A best 4-54 with the ball before adding 21 with the bat, including hitting the winning runs.
It may have been Yorkshire’s first win of this season’s MB50, but they are now encouragingly placed in the race for knockout cricket at the halfway stage in the group with four points from as many games.
The county are two points adrift of champions Kent, who hold the third and final qualifying place on six points from five games. Yorkshire also have a better net run-rate.
Our group is log-jammed at present. Four points separate leaders Leicestershire on eight to sixth-placed Lancashire.
Yorkshire’s remaining four games come in the next eight days, the first two of them against Surrey at York tomorrow – 11am – and then Hampshire at the same venue on Thursday.
Surrey seventh in the table on three points and Hampshire second on six.
Revis said: “We feel like we’ve got a bit of catching up to do with the rain that we’ve had. But I don’t see why we can’t turn Hampshire and Surrey, who are two good teams, over and go and play with real confidence like we did against Essex.
“The last three times we played Essex in this comp, we played them away and lost the last two. So we were really happy to get over line.
“It was a tough place to go, but we just had a go at them. It was a really pleasing win.
“In the chat we had, we didn’t think we bowled particularly great. Fair play to Pepper and Das, they played well up front. But we didn’t get het up. We took a very chilled approach and came back well.”
At Chelmsford yesterday, Revis shared nine wickets with off-spinner Dom Bess, who likewise claimed a career best haul – 5-37.
The good work of those two was backed up with the bat by captain Shan Masood and unbeaten James Wharton, who both hit 54.
Wharton’s score represented his maiden List A fifty in only his second game.
The 22-year-old from Huddersfield has now posted this season a first fifty in both first-class and List A cricket as well as a maiden century in T20s.
“Wharts has come on leaps and bounds,” enthused Bess.
“He’s always had the talent, but I’d say that he’s probably grown into his body a little bit more now. He was a little bit Bambi on Ice and sort of a Giraffe. But he’s filled out.
“You can see from the way he hit the ball in the T20 when he got his hundred (against Worcestershire at Headingley).
“Even at Chelmsford, where I know it’s not a big ground, he was drop-kicking it over the stands. With that, he’s got the touch and finesse.
“I’ve talked about us being smart. Even though it was his first fifty, he played it like he’d played 100 games.
“You’ve got to remember that Rev and Wharts are 21 and 22, and that’s hopefully what fans will see – we’re getting over the line, and we’re doing it and people are growing with that.”
Surrey head to York tomorrow with one win, two defeats and a No Result from four games.
That win came yesterday against Nottinghamshire away at Welbeck when last month’s Yorkshire loanee spinner Dan Moriarty bowled an outstanding final over.
In reply to Surrey’s 244, and with their target adjusted slightly due to rain, Notts went into the last over needing six runs with three wickets left. But they were bowled out for 237.
Left-armer Moriarty conceded only two runs, took two wickets and forced a run out.
Surrey are the worst affected county because of Hundred absentees. They are shorn of 12 players. But they do have England fringe Test trio Rory Burns, Ben Foakes and Dom Sibley available. Opening batter Burns is captain.
“Surrey and Hampshire two experienced sides, but I think that’s who you want to be playing against,” added Bess. “York is a great 50-over ground as well. It’s a great place to play, and it’s going to be exciting.
“The lads will come up against the likes of Burns, Sibley, Foakesy – international cricketers – and get to test themselves.
“We have a great combination of some experienced lads, but also the likes of Hilly, Wharts, Revis, Duke, Beany.
“There are a lot of people who’ve come on the last 12 months.
“Of course, we want to win each game, but it’s also about developing these lads.”