Report on National League match Yorkshire v Worcestershie, 17th August 2003 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Yorkshire v Worcestershire

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Result: Yorkshire (171/7) beat Worcestershire (170) by three wickets.

A tense and rather low-scoring match at Scarborough saw Yorkshire win a narrow three-wicket victory over Worcestershire to gain some measure of revenge for their defeat in the championship match earlier in the week. Good bowling, in particular by Steven Kirby, gave Yorkshire an advantage, but they could not have completed their victory without a fine 60 from Matthew Wood.

This was a match between the two bottom teams in the National League, with Worcestershire sitting on 16 points and Yorkshire 12, both from 10 matches. For both teams it was therefore a crucial match in their hopes to retain Division One status in 2004, especially for Yorkshire. The home side was handicapped by the loss of Craig White, who had to withdraw due to a back spasm. Their victory took them level on points with Worcestershire, but still behind on overall run rate.

Yorkshire’s bowlers were less than impressive when Worcestershire decided to bat, giving away five wides in the first two overs. However it ended in success, as Vikram Solanki (4) drove at a half-volley from Steve Kirby and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Richard Blakey. The next ball, very quick and again a full length, ripped through the defences of the renowned Graeme Hick and knocked back his off stump. Worcestershire were 16 for two, and the crowd of about 5,500 came into voice.

The visitors were forced to consolidate as Yorkshire’s bowlers found their radar, and batsmen Anurag Singh and Ben Smith were just beginning to open up again when the former drove Silverwood straight at Richard Dawson in the covers and departed for 10. The tall South African Justin Kemp was adjudged lbw to Kirby and departed reluctantly without scoring, leaving Worcestershire on 43 for four in the 12th over.

Kirby’s opening spell of seven overs returned figures of three for 22, while Silverwood bowled out his nine to take one for 28. England Under-19 all-rounder Tim Bresnan came on to bowl well, but captain Anthony McGrath was expensive, allowing Worcestershire a welcome respite as they took 17 off his two overs. The 100 came up in the 25th over, but five runs later Bresnan struck, trapping David Leatherdale lbw for 23.

Gareth Batty, one of the batting architects of Worcestershire’s victory in the championship match, this time failed to score, chipping Dawson in his first over to midwicket, reducing Worcestershire to 109 for six in the 28th over. All the time the major hero of the earlier encounter, Ben Smith, was still there and he reached a calculated fifty off 85 balls. Then, trying to increase the scoring rate, he came forward to drive Dawson and was stumped for 56; 129 for seven in the 34th over.

There was no real recovery to come from Worcestershire, despite the energy of Steven Rhodes. Kabir Ali made only 1 before he swept at Andy Gray and was very well caught low down by Bresnan running in from deep square leg. Matt Mason also managed a single before being caught right on the square leg boundary off Dawson. Nantie Hayward’s unorthodox approach brought a laugh or two before a wild swing resulted in the loss of his leg stump to Bresnan for 11 in the final over.

Worcestershire totalled 170, and Rhodes was unbeaten with 35. The most successful bowlers were Kirby with three for 27 and Dawson with three for 26, while two wickets went to Bresnan.

Yorkshire, faced with a target small enough for them to be reckoned favourites, soon lost Stephen Fleming without scoring, swishing wildly outside off stump to Mason to be caught by wicketkeeper Rhodes. Some fine driving by Matthew Wood gave the innings some momentum, and McGrath, after a shaky start, slowly began to find his touch.

Hayward was, to start with, as wayward as his nickname, but he produced some good deliveries, and one which he got to bounce had McGrath edging to the keeper for 14. Yorkshire were 43 for two in the 10th over.

Hayward’s behaviour left a nasty taste in the mouth as he frequently sledged Wood in particular, but the umpires weakly ignored his boorish behaviour. Then when he had an lbw appeal against Michael Lumb rejected, he remonstrated with umpire Barrie Leadbeater. Kirby escaped trouble for similar behaviour during the championship match, so nobody could accuse the umpires of partiality – the policy seems to be the blind eye on all sides.

Two successive dashing cover drives to the boundary by Lumb seemed to leave Hayward temporarily speechless. Later in the same over Kemp at backward point took a shot from Lumb on the bounce, but Hayward claimed a catch, tried to persuade the fielders that it was genuine, and then gave Leadbeater another lengthy ear-bashing. After the next ball Hayward gave Lumb the benefit of his opinions, and had to be guided away by Rhodes. Captain Smith, who according to the laws is responsible for the behaviour of his players on the field, appeared to be as supine as the umpires.

Mason, though occasionally trying to pressurize the umpires, bowled right through an immaculate opening spell, conceding just 15 runs for his wicket in nine overs. Kabir Ali replaced him, and took the wicket of Lumb for 22, superbly caught by a diving Kemp at midwicket. Yorkshire were 90 for three in the 21st over.

Yuvraj Singh again disappointed after a couple of quick boundaries, spooning an easy catch to mid-off off Ali to depart for 12; 102 for four in the 23rd over. The scoring rate slowed, but Wood, now in the company of Richard Blakey, reached his fifty off 86 balls.

Hayward returned to bowl a series of fast yorkers, and quickly accounted for Blakey, knocking his off stump out of the ground. With the score 126 for five in the 33rd over, the match was in the balance, with Wood the key figure for Yorkshire. Batty at the other end had played a significant part, bowling his nine overs of off-spin for just 17 runs – no wickets, but a vital job in stemming the run flow.

Wood seemed to see it his job to stay until the end, playing sensibly while Bresnan attacked with good sense, but his plans were brought to nothing when Kemp at midwicket brought off another brilliant diving catch to dismiss him for 60 off the bowling of Ali. Yorkshire were 152 for six in the 40th over.

Bresnan drove a superb four off Hayward to take him to 23, but then hit a skyer to be taken at third man, making Yorkshire 161 for seven. The ground was tense, but Yorkshire had enough balls in hand not to panic. Three runs were added until Worcestershire in effect threw it away: Ali bowled a no-ball that cost two runs and from which he dropped a hard return catch from Dawson. Dawson hit the free ball that followed for four to square third man.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2003 John Ward)