George Hill’s brilliant List A best 6-28 and Will Luxton’s magnificent maiden first-team century set Yorkshire on their way to a crucial six-wicket win over Group B pacesetters Warwickshire, maintaining their slim hopes of Metro Bank One-Day Cup knockout qualification.
The Vikings, for whom Harry Duke, Luxton and Matthew Revis all went beyond 50 in reply, inflicted a first defeat in seven matches on the Bears, who came into this fixture second in the table and behind leaders Glamorgan only because of a slightly inferior net run-rate.
But they were limited to 242-9 thanks to Hill’s excellence before wicketkeeper-opener Duke broke the back of the chase early with 60 off 51 balls.
He raced to a 44-ball fifty – his first of the campaign, by which time Yorkshire were 63-1 in the 12th over on a slow pitch within the grounds of this private school.
And the Vikings kept their grip on things thanks to Luxton’s sensational 105 not out off 121 balls and an unbeaten 51 off 65 for Revis, wrapping up their fourth win in seven games with 5.3 overs to spare. Luxton and Revis, who also struck twice with the ball, shared an unbroken 129 in 25 overs for the fifth wicket.
Yorkshire now go into Wednesday’s final group clash with leaders Glamorgan at Cardiff needing to win to have any chance of a top-three finish.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Will Luxton posted his maiden first-team century at Rugby School today.
Even then, it may not be enough given the two teams directly above them in the race for third place, Leicestershire and Gloucestershire, play each other in the final group game on Wednesday.
Having elected to bowl, Yorkshire will have been happy with their efforts in restricting the Bears to a sub-250 total.
This was a Warwickshire line-up including in-form opener Ed Barnard and who had posted totals of 300 plus on two occasions, including once on this ground in victory over Surrey a couple of Fridays ago.
This was a slower pitch than that day, and Hill in particular took advantage as no Bear was able to break free, including opener Yates who top-scored but faced 107 balls.
Only three sixes were hit in an innings which saw Hill claim four of his wickets bowled and another lbw. Luxton later hit six sixes on his own, added to seven fours.
Ben Coad and Dom Bess, the other two bowlers to complete their 10-over allocations, were also tidy as they conceded 38 and 46 runs respectively. Bess was the other wicket-taker, alongside Hill and Revis.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. George Hill now has six-wicket hauls in first-class and one-day cricket.
The Vikings took wickets at regular intervals in the Midlands sunshine, stymieing Warwickshire’s progression.
Hill’s first wicket was that of Barnard with his very first ball, and when he had former Yorkshire County Championship winner Will Rhodes caught at mid-wicket off a miscued pull, the Bears were 53-2 in the 16th.
It wasn’t long after that he trapped England Under 19s captain Hamza Shaikh lbw – 73-3 in 20th over – before he later bowled Chris Benjamin for 38, Jake Lintott and Kai Smith.
By the time the latter fell, Warwickshire were 212-8 in the 46th over and Hill had the seventh best figures in Yorkshire’s List A history.
Sandwiched in between, Bess and Revis had Michael Burgess and opener Yates caught in the deep on the leg-side before Revis struck again late on to bowl Michael Booth.
Warwickshire only hit three sixes in their innings at this picturesque private school, the birth place of another sport – Rugby, of course.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Matthew Revis impressed with bat and ball today.
William Webb Ellis, whose name adorns Rugby Union’s World Cup trophy, was a pupil here in the early 1800s, and it was on the adjoining rugby pitch that he first picked up a ball.
Duke got the Vikings off to a flyer in pursuit, pouncing on anything short. He was particularly strong on the cut but also ramped Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s seam for six over fine-leg.
Debutant Yash Vagadia miscued former Yorkshire bowler Hannon-Dalby to mid-wicket – 25-1 in the fourth over – but Duke raced ahead, showing the kind of form which brought him a couple of hundreds in this format in 2021 and 2022.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to push on and convert this fifty into a third ton, and that opened the door for a Warwickshire fightback.
He fell caught behind off a top-edged sweep at Lintott, who later had captain Jonny Tattersall caught at slip as the score fell to 117-4 in the 20th over.
Sandwiched in between, teenaged leg-spinner Tazeem Ali had Fin Bean caught at deep mid-wicket pulling.
Picture by YCCC. The sunny scene at Rugby School today.
Thankfully, Luxton presence was key. Having shared 54 for the second wicket with Duke, he added that 129 for the fifth with Revis.
He whipped Rhodes’ seam for his first six and pulled Ali for his second – both over wide long-on – and by the time he reached his fifty, off 65 balls, the Vikings were back in control at 155-4 in the 29th over.
This was an impressive batting performance from a Yorkshire side missing key duo Shan Masood and James Wharton due to international duty and an ankle injury respectively.
Wharton rolled his ankle in the field during Thursday’s defeat against Leicestershire at Scarborough and failed a morning fitness test, handing Vagadia his debut.
Luxton and Revis were punishing on anything short against spin, and when the latter made it a trio of Vikings fifties, this coming off 60 balls, the game was all but sewn up at 217-4 in the 42nd over.
All that was left was for Luxton to complete his century, which he did by sweeping back-to-back sixes off the off-spin of Yates, getting there in 116 balls. He hit the winning runs in the next over to secure Yorkshire’s most impressive win of the competition – one of their most impressive victories of the season in any format.
Picture by YCCC. The birth place of Rugby, the former school of William Webb Ellis.
