Match report Leicestershire v Yorkshire in totesport League 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Leicestershire v Yorkshire

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In a floodlit match at Grace Road, Leicester, Yorkshire emerged from a bad patch to defeat Leicestershire by 34 runs. The margin of victory could well have been larger, as the match had been over as a contest long before then.

 

It was a match between two rather mediocre teams, but the decisive factor was the complete lack of fight and determination in the home side’s batting. Yorkshire’s performance was on the good side of average, and it is to be hoped this victory will inspire them with confidence to finish the season in style.

 

The weather was uncertain as Yorkshire won the toss and decided to bat. At that time the weather was cloudy but dry, with both sunshine and rain not far away. Yorkshire gave a debut to batsman Richard Pyrah, who has come up through the second team.

 

Yorkshire’s first boundary came when Ian Harvey slogged a ball from Ottis Gibson straight back past him, a cross between a pull and a tennis Stroke. After ten minutes, Yorkshire had scored 15 without loss after 14 legitimate deliveries, Matthew Wood on 2 and Harvey 10 – and the rain arrived, a light fall driving the players from the field.

 

The weather played games with the cricket, the rain and sun alternating before it was finally decided to restart play at 6.10, with each side to play 32 overs. The break seemed to unsettle Gibson, who bowled three successive wides, while the outfield proved a little slippery and uneven for the fielders, who produced several fumbles – not all of which could be blamed on the fielders.

 

Harvey took a while to assert himself again, but then swatted Mark Cleary low over the square-leg boundary for six. Then he continued to blitz the bowling with powerful strokes through or over the field, mostly square with the wicket. However, he came to a sticky end on 37 (30 balls), as a brilliant throw and direct hit from John Sadler at mid-on as he attempted a quick single. The very next ball, Wood steered Darren Maddy straight to Jeremy Snape at backward point and Yorkshire were 56 for two in the tenth over.

 

Cleary injured an ankle, breaking down in the middle of an over, while his replacement Charlie Dagnall beat the bat several times without finding the edge. Andrew Gale enjoyed a life off Maddy as a difficult chance was missed at mid-on but, with Darren Lehmann and he both struggling to get the score moving, he charged down the pitch from the non-striker’s end as Lehmann played the ball to backward point, but Snape again got in the action with a good throw to the bowler’s end. He made 6, and Yorkshire were 75 for three in the 16th over.

 

Lehmann was clearly out of form, but he does not throw his wicket away, and he knuckled down to work for his runs. He did escape a clear run-out opportunity, though, as did Anthony McGrath, on one of Leicestershire’s worst days for fielding. McGrath gave Lehmann good support before departing for 27, caught by long-off Darren Stevens running round as he lofted Claude Henderson over his head; 143 for four in the 28th over.

 

Despite some scrappy strokes, Lehmann reached his fifty off 55 balls, many of them through powerful swings to leg, well-timed and otherwise, rustic and otherwise. Finally he fell for 56, beaten outside the off stump by Henderson and stumped by Paul Nixon; 155 for five in the 30th over. He never really looked in touch, but his willingness to stay there and fight was in contrast to the batting of the opposition later in the day.

 

Maddy as bowler and Snape as fielder were in the action again as Vic Craven, trying to hit a six, holed out straight to long-on for 5. Yorkshire were 164 for six in the 31st over, and this brought in the debutant Pyrah. He lost Tim Bresnan for 14, caught by Stevens at long-off off Gibson, as he tried to hit at everything in the final over of the innings.

 

Pyrah scored 2, but extravagantly gave himself too much room to hit at Gibson and was comprehensively bowled. Richard Dawson did better with six runs off the two balls he faced, Ismail Dawood did not face a ball, and Yorkshire finished with a none too impressive 177 for eight wickets. The most successful bowlers were Gibson (two for 44), Maddy (two for 25) and Henderson (two for 31). Duckworth-Lewis declared that Leicestershire needed to score 180 to win.

 

Maddy hit Leicestershire’s first boundary as they began their chase, courtesy of a short ball from Harvey. Maddy made most of the early running, while Darren Robinson struggled before being bowled round his legs by Harvey for 2. Leicestershire were 21 for one in the sixth over, but rain clouds were building up none too far away.

 

Steve Kirby bowled well, apart from a number of wides, and was rewarded with the wicket of Maddy for 15, caught by the wicketkeeper Ismail Dawood as he lashed at a ball outside the off stump, after lashing the previous delivery through the covers for four. Kirby went whooping down the pitch in delight; the two had played against each other in league cricket in Leicester and so know each other well. 31 for two in the second over.

 

Sadler and Stevens settled in carefully, with the latter doing most of the scoring. Sadler, in poor form recently, finally surrendered his wicket for 5, frustrated into attempting a single to Wood at square leg and being run out easily. 50 for three in the 12th over.

 

Leicestershire began to struggle as Jeremy Snape fell for 7, trying to cut Lehmann and chopping the ball on to his stumps. Apart from an occasional good stroke, the batsmen seemed to lack conviction and Yorkshire were beginning to take a grip of the situation with the score at 60 for four in the 14th over.

 

Darren Brandy (3) added to the crisis as he unwisely tried to swing Dawson across the line and was bowled between his legs. Leicestershire were 69 for five in the 17th over, and with Paul Nixon joining Stevens at the wicket, it appeared to be the home team’s last chance.

 

It did not last long. Leicestershire had made several complaints that the light in the press box behind the sightscreen was distracting their batsmen, so finally all lights were switched off, leaving the occupants to work by floodlight. Immediately this helpful move had been completed, Stevens was smartly stumped by Dawood for 19 and, at 70 for six in the 19th over, Leicestershire were all but sunk.

 

Gibson (7) waved his bat with intent but little meaningful contact before finally he did connect – and picked out Kirby at long-off, who pouched the catch off Dawson; 85 for seven in the 23rd over. The question now was whether they could reach 100.

 

Nixon and Henderson (7) did manage that, before Henderson lofted a catch to Gale at long-on; 103 for eight in the 27th over. Nixon began to hit out, swinging Bresnan over midwicket for six, but was then trapped lbw for 25 trying to drive McGrath. Cleary came in with Stevens as a runner, and after four balls had scored 11, including a superb drive through extra cover; the local press named him the team’s best batsman so far.

 

Cleary made 20 off 11 balls, but finally, inevitably, in the penultimate over he lofted a drive to long-off, a popular place for dismissals in this match, and Gale appeared to take a good catch diving full-length, although the television appeared to show the ball had hit the ground. Dagnall was unbeaten with 7, and Leicestershire were all out for 145. Dawson returned the best bowling figures of three for 19, while Harvey had two for 27 and McGrath two for 15.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)