Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, North Group
Thursday June 20, 2024, 7.15pm
Headingley
Toss: Vikings won it and elected to bat.
Vikings: Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Shan Masood c, Donovan Ferreira w, Jordan Thompson, Matthew Revis, Dom Bess, Jafer Chohan, Conor McKerr, Dan Moriarty.
Lightning: Josh Bohannon, Luke Wells, Keaton Jennings c, George Lavelle, Matty Hurst w, Steven Croft, George Balderson, Chris Green, Luke Wood, Jack Blatherwick, Saqib Mahmood.
Match Summary: Yorkshire won another pulsating Roses clash – there have been oh so many down the years – as they defended a 174 target to get home by seven runs against the North Group leaders.
The Vikings won for the fourth time in seven games in this season’s North Group, riding on the back of a number of key contributions, led by Shan Masood’s 61 off 41 balls and Dom Bess’s 2-26 from four overs of off-spin.
Yorkshire posted 173-8 before Lancashire fell from 67-2 in the eighth over to finish on 166-8.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. The excellent Dom Bess celebrates a wicket with Conor McKerr.
Yorkshire claimed their fourth win in seven games and consigned Lancashire to a third defeat in eight.
The Vikings won the Roses Blast clash at Headingley for the second year running.
Report: This was a night dominated by spin.
Off-spinner Chris Green was the pick of Lancashire’s bowlers with 2-21, while fellow offie Dom Bess was Yorkshire’s pick with 2-26. In fact, on a pitch which gripped, all four of the home spinners struck – Bess, Dan Moriarty, Jafer Chohan and Joe Root, who earlier contributed a very useful 43 off 33 balls with the bat.
He and captain Shan Masood were the most successful home batters on show. Masood top-scored with 61 off 41, sharing 104 for the third wicket to advance from 23-2 in the third over. Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings also impressed with 46.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Shan Masood is interviewed by Charles Dagnall after Yorkshire’s win over Lancashire.
Vikings lost openers Adam Lyth lbw to Green’s first ball and Dawid Malan caught at midwicket off a top-edged pull against pacer Saqib Mahmood, who finished with three wickets.
But Root guided back-to-back boundaries to third-man and long-leg off Mahmood’s pace in the fifth to settle things, and Yorkshire took 43 off the six-over powerplay.
They continued their steady progress until captain Masood pulled George Balderson’s seamers over midwicket for the night’s first six in the 10th over, at the end of which Yorkshire were 78-2.
Masood took on the aggressor’s role, and by the time he reached his fifty off 33 balls, Vikings were 117-2 in the 14th.
The left-hander was reprieved shortly after, on 58, when he top-edged a ramp off Jack Blatherwick into his helmet and was run out whilst in mid-pitch seemingly waiting for a dead ball call.
In the end, umpires Lloyd and Middlebrook sided with the Pakistan star (126 for two in the 15th over) who later didn’t field. As it transpired, Masood had stepped on his stumps, when the ball became dead. The run out, therefore was null and void.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Joe Root celebrates victory with Yorkshire’s lead strength and conditioning coach, Harry Booker.
Masood didn’t field as a precaution, with Dawid Malan taking on the captaincy duties. But Masood did undertake a Sky Sports interview after play, accepted his player of the match award and signed autographs.
But Root fell caught at mid-on later in the over before Masood was caught behind down leg off Mahmood in the next, Yorkshire now 131-4.
And those dismissals were central to an impressive Red Rose recovery, with Green, Blatherwick and Masood all striking again added to a run out as only 49 came off the last six overs for the loss of six wickets.
Yorkshire quick Conor McKerr then had Josh Bohannon caught at mid-on in the second over of the Lightning chase – 6-1.
Jennings hit seven fours in nine balls off McKerr and Jordan Thompson in the fourth and fifth overs to take the score to 43-1, and he was flying. Nearing a fifty, the signs were ominous.
But off-spinner Bess bowled Luke Wells shortly afterwards.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. The excellent Jafer Chohan dismisses George Lavelle caught and bowled.
And when he had Jennings caught at deep mid-wicket, leaving Lancashire 67-3 after eight overs, the Red Rose slide started in front of a 13,845 crowd.
Matty Hurst was lbw reverse sweeping at Dan Moriarty’s spin before George Lavelle chipped a return catch to leggie Jafer Chohan – 88-5 in the 11th.
Balderson and Steven Croft tried their best to recover things, but when Root’s off-spin bowled the former – 124-6 after 16 – the Lightning’s race was all but run.
Thompson, who successfully defended 20 off the last over, struck twice late on to seal a famous win.
Magic moment: Shan Masood pulled George Balderson over mid-wicket for six, towards the East Stand side of the ground. It was the moment the acceleration started, leaving Yorkshire 68-2 in the 10th over and taking the skipper to 17.
Turning point: Lancashire slipped from 67-2 in the eighth over of their chase to 88-5 in the 11th. It was a mini-collapse with seismic ramifications for this fixture.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Jordan Thompson celebrates dismissing Lancashire’s Chris Green.
Stat of the match: Yorkshire have won back-to-back Roses home games, dating back to last June. The Western Terrace even cheekily sung, ‘Lankys get battered everywhere they go!’
What they said – Joe Root: “It wasn’t the flat belting wicket that you can sometimes get here. It still made for a good game of cricket, and it’s nice to be on the right side of it after a tough couple of games. We’re in a good spot in the table.
“We learnt lessons from the previous two games, where we needed to take it a little bit deeper with the bat, especially on that wicket. It was a case of building that partnership, take it deep and capitalise on any bad bowling.
“I said 180 when I got out. I felt that would be a good score on that pitch. We didn’t maximise the platform we had.
“I think Mala (Dawid Malan) managed their innings very well having had to take on the captaincy at the very last minute. He marshalled it very well.
“Myself and Shan, having spent the most time in the middle, felt that spin would be the hardest to capitalise on and score quickly against.”
What’s next: Yorkshire face Durham at Seat Unique Riverside tomorrow evening (6.30pm). It’s our eighth and final game before the fortnight’s break for the resumption of the County Championship from this weekend.
