Yorkshire Vikings v Sussex Sharks
Vitality Blast, Quarter-Final
Tuesday August 24, 2021, 6.30pm
Emirates Riverside
Toss: Yorkshire won it and elected to bat.
Teams: Yorkshire – Lyth, Kohler-Cadmore, Willey c, Brook, Ballance, Fraine, Thompson, Waite, Fisher, Duke w, Rashid.
Sussex – Salt w, Wright c, Bopara, Rawlins, Wiese, Garton, Jordan, Khan, Beer, Mills, Lenham.
Match Summary: Sussex’s Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan starred with bat and not ball to shatter Yorkshire’s hopes of reaching Vitality Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston. Khan smashed a blistering 27 not out off nine balls in pursuit of 178, helping seal a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.
Report: Yorkshire were chasing a third Finals Day appearance after making it there in 2012 and 2016. But it wasn’t to be in a pulsating quarter-final played at Durham due to a clash with the England versus India Test Match.
Yorkshire were indebted to 55 apiece for Gary Ballance and opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore as they posted 177-7 on a true pitch with short boundaries, recovering from 33-3 after five overs.
Leg-spinner Khan’s only wicket was an early one – Harry Brook lbw sweeping for one. But he was otherwise played comfortably, returning 1-25.
Ballance and Kohler-Cadmore shared 85 in 10.1 overs for the fourth wicket.
Ballance was fluent and pulled Khan for six to reach 50 in 34 balls. Kohler-Cadmore struggled to get going, though found late fluency in his 47-ball fifty.
Tymal Mills claimed 3-39 for the Sharks who, like Yorkshire, were sloppy in the field.
Both sides dropped catches and let balls through their legs in the field.
While Khan was the star of the Sussex chase, they were given a fast start by captain Luke Wright’s 54 off 39. They reached 53-0 after six overs.
But Jordan Thompson’s first of three wickets ended a 72-run opening stand in his first over – the ninth – when Phil Salt found long-on for 27.
The Vikings fought their way back well, including Adil Rashid bowling a sweeping Wright (111-3 in the 14th over).
That target later became 56 off five overs at 122-3 with David Wiese and Delray Rawlins together. Matthew Fisher bowled Rawlins for 27, leaving Sussex at 135-4 and needing 43 off 21.
But Khan swung a game which was in the balance decisively with some breathtaking hitting.
He hit one particular six over long-on with an amazing lack of a back swing and took Willey for three fours in a crucial 19th over which went for 16.
Fisher tried his best to defend six off the last, but Chris Jordan hit the winning runs.
Turning point: It was the moment Rashid Khan, elevated up the order to six by the Sussex think tank, walked to the crease with 21 balls remaining. He only needed to face nine of them to carry the Sharks to their first Finals Day since 2018. Khan won’t be available at Edgbaston next month due to IPL duty.
Magic moment: Gary Ballance pulled the mercurial Rashid Khan for six over deep mid-wicket to reach a 34-ball fifty, helping Yorkshire into an encouraging position at 118-3 after 15 overs.
Stat: Seven of the last nine overs in Yorkshire’s innings all went for double figures runs wise, giving the hosts a good chance of victory after earlier struggles. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
What they said: David Willey, Yorkshire’s captain: “I think we thought we were a few under par because we had the best of the conditions. It was probably better to bat in the first half.
“We just didn’t do the basics well enough in the field, and it cost us.
“The pitch got lower, and it was difficult for them to hit.
“But Rashid managed to bang it quite nicely for them. So credit to them and good luck at Finals Day.
“I don’t think it was anything to do with conditions why we didn’t get over the line tonight (Yorkshire were playing away from Emerald Headingley due to a clash with the Test Match).”
What’s next: Yorkshire return to LV= Insurance County Championship action on Monday when they face Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl (11am).
It is the first of the four remaining games, with the White Rose in the competition’s top group which will fight for the Championship title and the Bob Willis Trophy.
