Yorkshire suffered a damaging – rain-affected – defeat to champions Leicestershire at Scarborough today as their Metro Bank One-Day Cup hopes took a hammer blow.
Experienced all-rounder Ian Holland impressed for the Foxes, who chased a revised 22-over target of 150 to win by eight wickets following a two-hour rain delay through to 5pm.
Holland claimed 2-39 from 10 overs of seam with the new ball earlier in the day before leading the chase with a buccaneering 42 off 25 balls having opened the batting. Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill finished 71 not out off 54 balls with four sixes.
Rain arrived at the midway point of this Group B fixture, where Yorkshire sat with what felt like a very competitive 236-7 following a superb recovery partnership of 112 between seventh-wicket pair Dom Bess and Matthew Revis.
They were in trouble at 118-6 in the 35th over before Bess hit a career best 60 and Revis an unbeaten 55. Both faced 51 balls in challenging batting conditions.
Ultimately, though, their exploits went unrewarded as they suffered a third defeat in six matches.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess celebrates his half-century against Leicestershire as partner in crime Matthew Revis looks on.
They must now win their two remaining fixtures against Warwickshire at Rugby on Sunday and Glamorgan at Cardiff on Wednesday and hope for other results to go their way in the race for a top-three berth.
Yorkshire, inserted, suffered early damage amidst an excellent Leicestershire bowling performance on a helpful, used pitch – the same one played on during Tuesday’s win over Essex.
The Vikings were unable to break free, as indicated by the fact they reached 92-4 after 30 overs and only hit three boundaries and a six in that time.
Champions Leicestershire gained their rewards on the back of significant control, and three bowlers finished with two wickets apiece – Holland, Tom Scriven and Alex Green.
Wily American-born seamer Holland claimed his wickets with the new ball to get Fin Bean caught behind and Shan Masood at cover – 32-2 inside 10 overs.
Holland also played his part in the third wicket as he took a straightforward catch at mid-on after Harry Duke had miscued a pull at Scriven before James Wharton, for 23, pulled Roman Walker out to deep mid-wicket.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Shan Masood now departs for international duty with Pakistan until early September.
George Hill and Will Luxton then hit a six apiece, but just as the Vikings looked to try and accelerate the former miscued a pull at strapping 17-year-old Grace Road Academy debutant Green and was caught in the short mid-on region.
Shortly afterwards, Luxton was caught behind off an under-edge against Scriven – 118-6 in the 35th.
But this was very much an innings of two halves.
Just as the Vikings were shackled early on, they put their foot down late on through Revis and Bess, who shared 118 in virtually the final 15 overs of the innings.
Both men struck the ball crisply and hit three leg-side sixes between them; Bess two and Revis one.
While Revis was the first to 50, off 47 balls, Bess followed him there off 48 and posted a career best score for the second game running after his unbeaten 53 against Essex on Tuesday.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Dom Bess ramps against Leicestershire today.
They took 93 off the last 10 overs and 57 off the final five.
Dom Leech hit the last ball of the innings – his only ball faced after Bess had been caught at backward point off Green – for six over square-leg, which thudded into the Fish and Chip van.
Rain then arrived just after the players walked off the field and forced a two-hour delay.
When play resumed in the Scarborough gloom, it felt like the game was settled very swiftly as Holland got to work against a Yorkshire attack minus the rested Ben Coad.
Holland set the tone by square driving Hill for four after three balls of the chase.
Opening partner Sol Budinger was caught at mid-on off Hill, 18-1 in the third over. But Holland found the boundary regularly afterwards to leave the Vikings with an uphill battle.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. The rain hit Scarborough this afternoon.
When Holland fell, brilliantly caught at square-leg by diving sub-fielder Yash Vagadia off Dom Leech, the Foxes had control at 62-2 in the eighth over.
And Lewis Hill took on the lead role.
He hit Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin for six over long-off and slog-swept him for another – his third in all.
By the time he reached his fifty off 37 balls, Leicestershire were all but home and hosed at 112-2 in the 14th over. Unfortunately, so it proved as Hill and Indian overseas Ajinkya Rahane (28 not out) shared an unbroken 90, sealing victory with 14 balls remaining.
