Hampshire - Yorkshire Pro40 Division 1
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These are uncertain times in the county game, what with the worrying rumours circulating that from next season all one-day cricket will be replaced by 20/20 and two innings per side 20/20. Hopefully though, last night's Pro40 match at the Rose Bowl should go some way to convincing the ECB that one-day cricket should remain on the domestic calendar.
Both sides entered the match with key players missing. Yorkshire were without their captain Anthony McGrath, whilst Hampshire's reliable keeper/batsman Nic Pothas was still sidelined with a groin injury. Yorkshire's stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph won the toss and elected to bat first, and Rudolph and the in-form Andrew Gale made a measured start. However, Gale soon began outscoring his partner by taking an aggressive approach to Mascarenhas and Ervine in particular. Having brought up his 50 off 44 balls with eight 4s, Gale became bogged down against the pacer Billy Taylor, and ended up top-edging a pull to Dawson. This brought Adam Lyth in, who began to use his feet well against the legspin of Imran Tahir. Lyth again became the aggressor, signalling the fact that Rudolph intended to remain at the crease and anchor the innings. With 5th bowler Sean Ervine having been punished in his 3 overs (3-28), Mascarenhas brought on left arm spinner Liam Dawson (1-29 off 8), who checked the scoring rate with some well flighted deliveries. The pressure built by Dawson resulted in Lyth being run out off the throw of Jimmy Adams. At first it appeared that Dawson had messed up another run out chance, but replays indicated that Lyth was short of his ground.
The young talent Jonathan Bairstow (1) was also the victim of a run out. Having been called through for a quick single by Rudolph, Bairstow found himself floundering when a diving throw from Benham to the keeper Burrows beat him to the crease. Gerard Brophy joined Rudolph in the middle, and again became the attacking partner, scoring 34 from 37 balls, including a six off a low full toss from Dawson over midwicket. However, Dawson got his revenge when Brophy attempted a heave across the line and lost his off stump, leaving Yorkshire 191-4. With the Hampshire bowlers now into the Yorkshire allrounders, Rudolph decided to up the ante, hitting a well timed slog sweep into the long-on crowd off the bowling of Tahir. However, Rudolph attemmpted the same stroke next ball and only succeeded in chipping lamely to Cork at mid-on. Richard Pyrah was the next to fall, being caught by the diving Dawson off of Tahir (2-46), as Yorkshire struggled to find the boundary in the latter overs. Some quick twos between Bresnan and Rashid saw Yorkshire into the interval at 232-6.
With an asking rate below six an over, Hampshire appeared to be coasting after the prolific openers Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams set off at a brisk pace, punishing anything short or wide off of the bowling of Kruis, Pyrah, Bresnan and Hoggard. With the scoring rate up around 6 and a half runs per over, Rudolph introduced the England prospect Adil Rashid, who's legspinners began to tie down the Hampshire openers with his variations. With the scoring rate now back down to roughly the asking rate, Rashid made the breakthrough in his third over, as Adams' (44) attempted sweep was gobbled up by Bresnan, leaving Hampshire 95-1. The intoduction of spinner David Wainwright at the other end slowed the rate further, as he and Lumb found it difficult to pick the gaps in the field. Lumb brought up his 50 off 58 balls, but fell soon after for 53 as Wainwright found a thin edge to the keeper Brophy, leaving Hampshire 122-2, and the required rate now approaching 7 an over. Both Carberry and new batsman Sean Ervine struggled to rotate the strike, and when Carberry fell to Pyrah for 39, the rate needed had now reached 10 an over.
The excessive asking rate prompted a change in the batting order, as Mascarenhas entered the middle in an effort to rescue the game. With Rashid having bowled out (1-33), and Rudolph removing Wainwright from the attack, Mascarenhas and Ervine found the new pace on the ball to their liking. Some poor fielding also allowed the two batsmen to stay in touch with the rate - an atempted flick over short fine leg by Ervine fell between two fielders, and Andrew Gale dropped a dolly at mid-on. These let-offs allowed both Ervine and Mascarenhas to stay in the game for a while longer, but some excellent ground fielding prevented boundaries on a number of occasions. With 18 needed off of the last two overs, Hampshire suffered a setback when on the 5th ball of the over, Mascarenhas attempted a suicidal second run and found himself on the way back to the pavilion. Benham stole a couple off the last ball of the over, and 9 were needed from the final over, to be bowled by Hoggard.
Ervine took a single from the first ball, and Bresnan couldn't stop a cut from Benham next ball reaching the boundary. With a single taken off the third ball, the ask was now a simple 3 runs off 3 balls. Ervine attempted a single from the fourth ball, but Benham decided to send him back only after Ervine had made it 3/4 of the way down the pitch. Brophy removed the bails with Ervine not even trying to get back. This brought new man Dawson in, who hit two down the ground to bring himself back on strike, with Hampshire requiring one to win from the last ball. Rudolph predictably brought the entire field inside the circle bar fine leg. Hoggard steamed in, but strayed onto the pads, as Dawson flicked the ball to fine leg, and Benham scampered home at the striker's end.
Ervine was made man of the match, and Yorkshire will be gutted that they let such a good position slip from them.
Both sides entered the match with key players missing. Yorkshire were without their captain Anthony McGrath, whilst Hampshire's reliable keeper/batsman Nic Pothas was still sidelined with a groin injury. Yorkshire's stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph won the toss and elected to bat first, and Rudolph and the in-form Andrew Gale made a measured start. However, Gale soon began outscoring his partner by taking an aggressive approach to Mascarenhas and Ervine in particular. Having brought up his 50 off 44 balls with eight 4s, Gale became bogged down against the pacer Billy Taylor, and ended up top-edging a pull to Dawson. This brought Adam Lyth in, who began to use his feet well against the legspin of Imran Tahir. Lyth again became the aggressor, signalling the fact that Rudolph intended to remain at the crease and anchor the innings. With 5th bowler Sean Ervine having been punished in his 3 overs (3-28), Mascarenhas brought on left arm spinner Liam Dawson (1-29 off 8), who checked the scoring rate with some well flighted deliveries. The pressure built by Dawson resulted in Lyth being run out off the throw of Jimmy Adams. At first it appeared that Dawson had messed up another run out chance, but replays indicated that Lyth was short of his ground.
The young talent Jonathan Bairstow (1) was also the victim of a run out. Having been called through for a quick single by Rudolph, Bairstow found himself floundering when a diving throw from Benham to the keeper Burrows beat him to the crease. Gerard Brophy joined Rudolph in the middle, and again became the attacking partner, scoring 34 from 37 balls, including a six off a low full toss from Dawson over midwicket. However, Dawson got his revenge when Brophy attempted a heave across the line and lost his off stump, leaving Yorkshire 191-4. With the Hampshire bowlers now into the Yorkshire allrounders, Rudolph decided to up the ante, hitting a well timed slog sweep into the long-on crowd off the bowling of Tahir. However, Rudolph attemmpted the same stroke next ball and only succeeded in chipping lamely to Cork at mid-on. Richard Pyrah was the next to fall, being caught by the diving Dawson off of Tahir (2-46), as Yorkshire struggled to find the boundary in the latter overs. Some quick twos between Bresnan and Rashid saw Yorkshire into the interval at 232-6.
With an asking rate below six an over, Hampshire appeared to be coasting after the prolific openers Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams set off at a brisk pace, punishing anything short or wide off of the bowling of Kruis, Pyrah, Bresnan and Hoggard. With the scoring rate up around 6 and a half runs per over, Rudolph introduced the England prospect Adil Rashid, who's legspinners began to tie down the Hampshire openers with his variations. With the scoring rate now back down to roughly the asking rate, Rashid made the breakthrough in his third over, as Adams' (44) attempted sweep was gobbled up by Bresnan, leaving Hampshire 95-1. The intoduction of spinner David Wainwright at the other end slowed the rate further, as he and Lumb found it difficult to pick the gaps in the field. Lumb brought up his 50 off 58 balls, but fell soon after for 53 as Wainwright found a thin edge to the keeper Brophy, leaving Hampshire 122-2, and the required rate now approaching 7 an over. Both Carberry and new batsman Sean Ervine struggled to rotate the strike, and when Carberry fell to Pyrah for 39, the rate needed had now reached 10 an over.
The excessive asking rate prompted a change in the batting order, as Mascarenhas entered the middle in an effort to rescue the game. With Rashid having bowled out (1-33), and Rudolph removing Wainwright from the attack, Mascarenhas and Ervine found the new pace on the ball to their liking. Some poor fielding also allowed the two batsmen to stay in touch with the rate - an atempted flick over short fine leg by Ervine fell between two fielders, and Andrew Gale dropped a dolly at mid-on. These let-offs allowed both Ervine and Mascarenhas to stay in the game for a while longer, but some excellent ground fielding prevented boundaries on a number of occasions. With 18 needed off of the last two overs, Hampshire suffered a setback when on the 5th ball of the over, Mascarenhas attempted a suicidal second run and found himself on the way back to the pavilion. Benham stole a couple off the last ball of the over, and 9 were needed from the final over, to be bowled by Hoggard.
Ervine took a single from the first ball, and Bresnan couldn't stop a cut from Benham next ball reaching the boundary. With a single taken off the third ball, the ask was now a simple 3 runs off 3 balls. Ervine attempted a single from the fourth ball, but Benham decided to send him back only after Ervine had made it 3/4 of the way down the pitch. Brophy removed the bails with Ervine not even trying to get back. This brought new man Dawson in, who hit two down the ground to bring himself back on strike, with Hampshire requiring one to win from the last ball. Rudolph predictably brought the entire field inside the circle bar fine leg. Hoggard steamed in, but strayed onto the pads, as Dawson flicked the ball to fine leg, and Benham scampered home at the striker's end.
Ervine was made man of the match, and Yorkshire will be gutted that they let such a good position slip from them.