Yorkshire came out on the wrong side of another enthralling Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at York as Gloucestershire impressively defended a 252-target to win by 36 runs.
Both counties have now won two, lost two at the midway point in Group B.
Ollie Price was the fixture’s standout batter with 98 off 118 balls from number three in Gloucestershire’s 251-9, but their win was threatened when they lost seven wickets for the addition of 85 runs in their final 15 overs having elected to bat.
Ben Coad’s excellent 2-27 from 10 overs was backed up Ben Cliff, George Hill and Dan Moriarty, who all struck twice.
Opener Miles Hammond hit 54 for Glos, whose chances were on the ropes with Yorkshire 137-2 in the 27th over. Captain Shan Masood made 76 and James Wharton was en-route to 56.
But left-arm quick Matt Taylor stood out for the visitors. He took the new ball and finished with 3-35 from 10 overs as Yorkshire were bowled out for 215 inside 48 overs.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. James Wharton plays off the back foot today as Gloucestershire wicketkeeper James Bracey watches on.
This was another fascinating 50-over clash.
As scores have sky-rocketed around the world in recent years, this fixture and Wednesday’s win over Sussex here have given weight to the view that low-scoring games are generally the best.
There was a real contest between bat and ball, instead of bowlers almost acting as bowling machines for batters to tee off on flat pitches.
Gloucestershire’s innings was a tale of two halves on a pitch offering extra bounce but not oodles of pace.
They batted with caution in the first half to get themselves in an excellent position.
After Cameron Bancroft’s early departure, caught behind off Coad – 36-1 in the 11th over, Hammond and Price advanced impressively but without any dynamism on the same pitch used for the Sussex win a couple of days ago.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Coad is congratulated by Fin Bean and Harry Duke after dismissing Jack Taylor.
When they did find the boundary on a slowish pitch but with a bit of bounce, it was with poise and invention on the way to an 88-run partnership.
Both men drove nicely, with number three Price happy to sweep and reverse sweep against spin as he showed the kind of form which brought him 575 runs in last year’s competition – the third highest tally of any batter.
When Hammond tried to reverse sweep, however, he fell – bowled by Moriarty’s spin, leaving Glos at 124-2 in the 30th over.
During their second-wicket stand of 88, Hammond reached his fifty off 84 balls and England Lion Price off 65.
Price drove handsomely. He pushed Cliff almost arrow straight down the ground for two boundaries in the 34th over before, at the start of the 36th, James Bracey hoisted the same bowler over long-on for one of only two sixes across the whole 50 overs.
At that stage, the Bristol county looked set to accelerate towards 300 and maybe beyond.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Gloucestershire’s Ollie Price, with 98, was the standout batter on show at Clifton Park today.
But things changed considerably, as four wickets fell for 19 from 172-2 in 36th over to 191-6 in the 41st.
Cliff gained revenge for that Bracey six with two wickets in the 36th as Bracey played on and Ben Charlesworth was caught behind. Coad then forced Jack Taylor to play on, as did Moriarty to Graeme van Buuren.
Tom Smith added a useful 27, but Price was yorked by Hill just short of a third career List A century as the visitors only just managed to top the 250-mark.
Yorkshire’s reply then advanced in a topsy-turvy manner.
Fin Bean was bowled off the inside-edge – the fixture’s fourth chop on – as he attempted to leave Matt Taylor alone. And when Ajeet Singh Dale bowled Will Luxton shortly afterwards, the Vikings were 24-2 in the seventh over.
But Masood and Wharton set about their calming century partnership.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Matthew Revis tried to rescue Yorkshire with a late 41.
The former hit 63 in Wednesday’s win here, and by the time his latest half-century arrived off 52 balls, Yorkshire were in a healthier state at 94-2 in the 21st over.
Acceleration came when Wharton and Masood hit three leg-side sixes off the spin of Price and van Buuren as the score moved from 96-2 in the 21st to 117-2 in the 23rd.
At that stage, it was Yorkshire’s game to lose. But they wobbled as Matt Taylor had Masood caught behind and bowled Hill in successive overs – 143-4 in the 29th.
As those two wickets fell, Wharton seemed to get stuck in the forties.
He did reach his second career List A fifty, off 78 balls, but he miscued Smith’s left-arm spin to backward point, leaving the Vikings 163-6. That became 176-7 in the 39th when Singh Dale trapped Dom Bess lbw.
Now it was Gloucestershire’s game, and they didn’t let things slip. Coad was run out before Matthew Revis, for 41, and Moriarty were caught in the deep off Goodman and van Buuren.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ottis Gibson reflects on the one that got away.
