Dom Bess and Matthew Revis shared nine wickets to inspire a brilliant come-from-behind five-wicket victory against Essex Eagles at Chelmsford as Yorkshire secured their first win in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Both men recorded their best ever List A figures as Essex slipped from 103-0 in the 10th over to 221 all out; Bess 5-37 from 7.4 overs and Revis 4-54 from eight.
Essex flew out of the blocks having elected to bat, with Michael Pepper hitting 63 off 34 balls, the opener hitting 58 of those runs in fours and sixes. But they lost all 10 wickets for 118 runs and their last seven for 46, slipping from 175-3.
Captain Shan Masood and James Wharton then led Yorkshire’s chase with contrasting half-centuries. Masood posted 54 off 66 balls before Wharton finished the game off with 54 not out off 49 balls, the win achieved with 4.1 overs remaining.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Matthew Revis.
He shared a crucial fifth-wicket partnership of 78 with James Wharton from 112-4 as the Vikings added two points to a defeat and two No Results.
They have reached the halfway-mark in the group stage with four points, needing to finish in the top three places for knockout qualification. They are fifth in table, two points behind third-placed Kent with a game in hand and a better net run-rate. Leicestershire lead the way on eight points after five games, while Hampshire are second with six after four fixtures.
Essex’s innings was one of many contrasts, starting with early attack turning into failed defence and also success for spin and seam.
The Eagles raced out of the blocks against the new ball, seemingly taking the view that this was the easiest time to score runs on a pitch which showed signs of uneven bounce and later turn.
Pepper, released from Hundred duty with London Spirit to play for Essex this weekend, hit three sixes off Ben Coad – twice over cover and the other straight.
As his innings developed, he played almost a shot a ball in sharing a century partnership with Robin Das, who made a run-a-ball 36.
Pepper tried to play one shot too many and skewed Bess high to cover with the last ball of the 10th over – 103-1 – and opened the door for Yorkshire. Ultimately, the Vikings burst through it thanks in the main to Bess and Revis.
Revis continued his impressive start to this competition with the ball.
In the opening day defeat against Kent at Scarborough, he claimed a hat-trick.
Revis struck twice in the 15th over, getting Eagles captain Tom Westley caught behind and Das caught and bowled – 125-3.
He later had Luc Benkenstein caught at mid-on off a miscued pull and Simon Harmer caught at mid-wicket, leaving the score at 181-5 in the 23rd over.
Bess then returned to take the last four wickets to fall amidst a collapse of seven wickets for 46 from 175-3. He had Beau Webster caught behind, Jamal Richards caught and bowled and Will Buttleman and Aron Nijjar bowled.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess.
A number of Essex players made starts yet failed to go on. Das with 36 was an example of that, so too Australian overseas all-rounder Webster with 39 and Benkenstein 27.
Bean and Duke were then far more reserved than opposite number Pepper had been, ensuring an end to the statistic that the last six 50-over games here had been won by the team batting first.
While Yorkshire played two spinners, with off-spinner Jack Shutt also striking once, Essex employed four as they attempted to turn the game around again.
Openers Fin Bean and Harry Duke got the Vikings off to a strong start, sharing 80 inside 17 overs for the first wicket.
South African overseas offie Harmer was Essex’s senior spinner, added to left-armer Nijjar and part-time duo Westley and Webster. The latter even bowled off-spin to left-handed Bean and seam up to the right-handed Duke.
Bean was strong square on both sides of the wicket in hitting five fours in 39, while wicketkeeper Duke added 42 to two earlier catches behind the stumps.
He ramped and reverse swept two of his four boundaries.
Bean was first to go when bowled by Webster before Nijjar claimed two of three wickets to fall for nine runs as the game was brought back into the balance at 112-4 in the 28th over.
He bowled Duke as he attempted to lap sweep before forcing George Hill to top-edge a sweep to mid-wicket. Harmer then had Will Fraine caught and bowled.
Thankfully, Masood and Wharton took the sting out of the situation.
Before the aforementioned mini-collapse, Masood had shimmied down the pitch and lofted Nijjar over long-on for six.
He later found a more than useful partner in Wharton, and they quickly regained momentum en-route to a fifty partnership inside seven overs as the score became 162-4 after 34.
Masood reached his fifty off 56 balls shortly afterwards, and Yorkshire were back in cruise control.
That remained so even when the Pakistani left-hander was adjudged caught behind down leg off Westley – 180-5 in the 40th.
Wharton hit two straight sixes off Webster in reaching his maiden List A fifty off 47 balls, whule Revis rounded off his memorable day with an unbeaten 21 and hit the winning runs.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. James Wharton.
