Arthur Crabtree wrote:Yorks lose by a run!
Close finishes a speciality.
Agonising stuff in a game where Yorkshire let Lancashire off the hook.
Bresnan and Willey opened the bowling rather well. Although ex White Rose Glenn Maxwell upped the ante by targeting Adil Rashid, his visit at the crease was relatively shortlived as he nicked off to the England leggie, who then got into the groove.
A brilliant direct hit run-out from Josh Poysden put the Lancashire batting into conservative mode. Pillans bowling figures didn't tell a true story as Croft nicked behind and the ball evading a diving Tattersall for 4, while a run out attempt from Willey hit the stumps but also went for four overthrows. Lancashire scoring above 300 was optimistic as they batted with caution, Willey and Rashid kept it tight at the death. Bresnan nearly had Bohannon caught at deep square leg but Pillans could not get under a swirling ball, dropped at the side of him and went for 4 runs. From there Bohannon unlocked the shackles and smashed Bresnan all corners of the ground. Lancashire scoring 311 where they should have been restricted below 300.
Lyth got Yorkshire's innings going with brisk pace, but a Maxwell delivery plugged onto the pitch and Lyth could only hit it to point. Willey was a walking wicket, having survived a strong caught point could only join up the dots. Kohler-Cadmore and Brook went into their shells, unable to rotate the strike sufficiently, probably owing to Yorkshire's faint lower order. Yorkshire's run rate dropped below 4 and went as high at 8.5rpo after the 20 over mark, it was almost like turning the clock back 10 years with Joe Sayers at the crease.
Ballance, using his back foot movement started playing his strokes to get Yorkshire's innings going and Kohler-Cadmore nearly hit Maxwell out the ground. But the required run-rate neither dropped substantially, nor raised substantially. Ballance survived a very strong run out appeal, commentators said he was out of his ground but the on field umpire was too busy trying to not get hit by the ball. Kohler-Cadmore eventually fell for 90, where he probably should have attacked the ball 4 overs earlier to allow Tattersall time to adapt. Though he got going from ball 1 with excellent footwork, shot placement and running between the wickets.
Ballance fell whilst caught in the deep, as did Bresnan. With no recognised sloggers left in the sheds, Lancashire were favourites although Rashid tried his best to hit out the ground. A six was managed, but was caught in the deep as the pitch noticeably kept slowing down. Pillans was like a rabbit in headlights, wafting at everything and the only connected shot found the cover fielder for one.
Yorkshire needed 16 off the final over with Tattersall on strike. He hit two fours through sheer placement, a single was run the next ball. Olivier facing his first ball used his frame and crunched the ball past covers for four, greeted by a Yorkshire crowd who went delirious as if it was one shot away from going to Lord's. 3 off 2 required, just get bat on ball. Olivier missed, Tattersall scampered to get back on strike, but in vain as Vilas took aim from distance and hit the stumps.
Josh Poysden coming in with 3 required off the ball, a sense of de va ju, another tie? Poysden could not quite get the ball away from covers, a single was run but a 2 was optimistic and the Lancashire field calmly took their time to run Poysden out, cueing wild celebrations from the players.