Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Dawid Malan led Yorkshire towards a first Blast win of the season today.
Yorkshire v Leicestershire Foxes
Vitality Blast, North Group
Sunday June 8, 2025, 3.30pm
Headingley
Toss: Leicestershire won it and elected to bowl.
Teams – Yorkshire: Dawid Malan c, Will Luxton, Adam Lyth, James Wharton, Matthew Revis, Dom Bess, Harry Duke w, Matt Milnes, Jafer Chohan, Dan Moriarty, Will O’Rourke.
Leicestershire: Rishi Patel, Sol Budinger, Louis Kimber c, Shan Masood, Lewis Hill, Ben Cox w, Liam Trevaskis, Logan van Beek, Tom Scriven, Roman Walker, Matt Salisbury.
Match Summary: Captain Dawid Malan hit a sparkling 88 off 48 balls with five sixes to help Yorkshire snap a three-game losing streak and secure their first Blast win of the season.
Malan and Will Luxton, who hit a career best 62 off 34 balls – his maiden career fifty, shared 132 for the second wicket to underpin 213-7. The former reached 10,000 career T20 runs in the process.
Jafer Chohan’s leg-spin then accounted for 4-27 from 3.5 overs as Leicestershire were bowled out for 107 in 16.5 overs. The 106-run margin of defeat was their heaviest ever in this format.
They lost for the second time in five games.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Will Luxton was superb for a career best 62.
Report: Yorkshire started superbly.
They reached 65-1 after six overs, with three successive fours for Adam Lyth against Logan van Beek part of that progression.
Malan reached the 10,000-mark in style by hoisting Matt Salisbury’s seam over cover to pass the two runs he needed before a ball was bowled.
Lyth was caught behind off Roman Walker’s seam, leaving the score at 30-1 in the fourth over and bringing Malan and Luxton together.
Yorkshire reached 101-1 after 10 overs.
Malan reached his fifty off 30 balls shortly afterwards before both he and Luxton hoisted sixes off Tom Scriven’s seam in the 13th over to notch a century stand.
Luxton’s fifty was achieved off 24 balls, and he hit four sixes in all.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jonny Bairstow signs autographs for fans today. He will have a scan on a calf injury tomorrow.
At this stage, Yorkshire were 138-1 after 13.
Both then fell caught, leaving Yorkshire 177-3 at the start of the 17th over, Luxton to the left-arm spin of Liam Trevaskis and Malan to Walker.
Leicestershire were able to limit the damage somewhat by striking six times in the last 5.1 overs of the innings even though 51 runs were added in that time.
Van Beek finished with 3-47 from his four overs, while Dom Bess hit a late 18 not out off six balls.
And that late Bess assault ensured Yorkshire maintained the momentum going into their effort with the ball. And it showed.
Yorkshire have struggled in the early stages of the North Group, not able to extend any good passages of play against Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and the Bears.
Today, not far off everything they touched turned to gold.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth celebrates dismissing Leicestershire’s Shan Masood.
Leicestershire were reduced to 20-2 at the start of the fifth over. New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke and Matt Milnes got Rishi Patel and Louis Kimber caught at mid-wicket and mid-off.
Malan then brought the part-time off-spin of Lyth on immediately after the powerplay, and Shan Masood knew he had to take a risk with the run-rate spiralling.
He could only loft his first ball down long-on’s throat, and at 34-3 it was all but game over.
Wickets continued to fall as Leicestershire’s task reached the impossible stage.
Chohan struck twice in two balls on two occasions, while Bess’s off-spin also accounted for two wickets.
Chohan had Logan van Beek stumped for an innings-high 26.
Magic Moment: You can’t look beyond Will Luxton’s maiden career T20 fifty in his ninth appearance in this format. The 22-year-old was outstanding from number three and now has fifties across all three formats.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Harry Duke congratulates Jafer Chohan on dismissing Leicestershire’s Ben Cox.
Turning point: The uniting of Dawid Malan and Will Luxton at 30-1 in the fourth over. They put the Leicestershire attack under some serious pressure during a 132-run partnership for the second wicket inside 12 overs.
Stat of the match: Dawid Malan, upon reaching 2 today, went to 10,000 career T20 runs. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, James Vince and Jason Roy are the only other English players to have achieved the same feat.
What they said – Yorkshire batter Will Luxton: “We’ve been close in a few games but not quite there, whether’s it been 30 runs too short or 30 runs too many for them.
“But today was a good day out – a nice comprehensive win.
“Everything seemed to click today, which unfortunately didn’t happen for us in the first three games. But we know what T20’s like. We knew if we turned up with the same attitude, it would change and we’d play a game like we did today.
“It’s nice to be backed by the coaches and the players to go out there and play, which is a massive thing for any young cricketer.
“Mala was sensational. He just talks you through the whole game and knows exactly what’s going to happen. He’s unbelievable to bat with. He’s a great mind.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Will O’Rourke was excellent today for 1-12 from three overs.
Injury update: Head coach Anthony McGrath also spoke to the media at the end of the game.
“Jonny Bairstow’s going to have a scan tomorrow (calf injury). Hopefully he’s not too far away, but it depends on the scan.
“Will Sutherland, we’re hoping to have back by the end of the week but Wednesday might come a bit too soon (broken toe). We’re still consulting with Cricket Victoria and our doctor as well. There’s not much more healing he can do. It’s just how much pain he can deal with. Cliffy, it’s probably too soon yet.
“I know there’s other injuries, but I can’t think off the top of my head!”
Jordan Thompson is another in the treatment room. He is hoping to potentially be ready for Friday against the Bears here.
“Hopefully towards the end of the week, we will get players back, and it will be a welcome return,” added McGrath.
What’s next: Yorkshire face Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Wednesday evening, 6.30pm.
