Match report Yorks v Middx totesport League 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Yorkshire v Middlesex

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Middlesex (209/7) beat Yorkshire (180) by 29 runs.

 

Thanks to the new segregated system in county cricket, this is the first time Yorkshire and Middlesex have met in any type of cricket for five years, according to Middlesex scorer Mike Smith. It resulted in a 29-run victory for Middlesex, assisted by a substandard Yorkshire performance in the field. A fine 81 by Owais Shah was the most influential performance of the match.

 

Intermittent rain during the morning and the lunch-hour delayed the start of the match, which was finally scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. with 24 overs per side. It was noted that Yorkshire were playing three ‘Woods’ in their side for the first time: acting captain Matthew Wood, paceman Chris Silverwood and wicketkeeper Ismail Dawood. Yorkshire won the toss and put Middlesex in to bat.

 

Yorkshire soon suffered a serious blow as Matthew Hoggard, probably unused to bowling at Headingley since his England duties began, broke down with a leg injury after bowling just three legal deliveries and a wide. Perhaps unwisely, Wood replaced him with Silverwood, who could only complete Hoggard’s over and would therefore be unable to bowl the full five allotted to each bowler.

 

Paul Weekes began with some imperious drives, but when on 15, off 15 balls, he attempted one too many, skying Silverwood in his second over just behind the bowler, and Richard Dawson completed the catch. Middlesex were 16 for one.

 

Ben Hutton, Middlesex’s acting captain, had not at that stage got off the mark. He did so with a fierce drive off Tim Bresnan in the following over, but Andrew Gale at cover almost turned it into a brilliant catch, leaping and getting one hand to the ball; he at least took enough pace off it to turn a potential four into a mere single. On 6 Hutton had another narrow escape, as he drove John Blain straight at mid-off Michael Lumb, only for the chance to go down.

 

The batsmen then made Yorkshire pay dearly by going on the rampage. Hutton and Owais Shah both hit powerfully, strong on the drive and played some superb leg-side pick-ups. They added 96 in ten overs before Hutton (41 off 35 balls) finally played on trying to drive Dawson on the off side. Middlesex were 113 for two in the 14th over.

 

Jamie Dalrymple scored 5 before he lashed at a ball from Vic Craven that was certainly heading for certification as an off-side wide, and was caught by wicketkeeper Ismail Dawood standing up; 120 for three in the 15th over.

 

In the following over Shah reached his fifty off just 35 balls, having played some superb drives and pulls. The Dutch international player Dan van Bunge scored 11 before he miscued a full toss from Craven and skyed it towards silly mid-on, where the bowler took the catch. Middlesex were 149 for four in the 18th over.

 

Shah made 81 off 56 balls, with 3 sixes and 8 fours, before he finally skyed a ball from Bresnan to Dawson running in from square leg; 178 for five in the 2st over. He was quickly followed two balls later by Chad Keegan (2), holing out at midwicket, caught by Phil Jaques off Craven; 179 for six.

 

Nick Compton hit well briefly for 14 before trying to flip Craven over fine leg and being caught instead by Bresnan in that position in the final over; 202 for seven. Ben Scott hit his first and only ball into the stands beyond extra cover, and Middlesex finished on 209 for seven. Simon Cook was unbeaten with 8.

 

Craven had the best return of four for 50, except that it came off only five overs. Dawson, with one for 27 off his five overs, was the most economical bowler. It was a tall order for Yorkshire, who had their own faulty catching and ground fielding to blame.

 

After singles off the first two balls, Yorkshire lost Matthew Wood to the third ball of their innings, edging Keegan to second slip where Weekes juggled but held the catch. Gale and Jaques kept the score moving with well-run singles and twos, with Gale playing the dominant role until Jaques swung Chris Wright for six over long leg.

 

Jaques now steadily caught and overtook Gale, reaching 40 with a pull off Nantie Hayward over the short midwicket boundary. He went on to reach his fifty off just 30 balls, and at this point Yorkshire were ahead of Duckworth-Lewis. Gale on the other hand was finding it more difficult to keep his score ticking over and he made 33 before being stumped off a wide by Scott off the bowling of Dalrymple.

 

Jaques finally fell on the sweep for 70, skying Dalrymple to square-leg Weekes; he faced 46 balls and hit five fours and three sixes. Yorkshire were 132 for three in the 16th over and just behind on Duckworth-Lewis.

 

This was the turning point, as the batsmen were unable to maintain, let alone increase, the run rate. Bresnan, who had come in at four supposedly as a pinch-hitter, did not find too much he could hit. Michael Lumb, trying to drive Keegan powerfully for four, was yorked off stump for 5; 148 for four in the 20th over, and the required run rate was now over 12.

 

Craven (3) was stumped by Scott, who made rather a meal of it but really impressed behind the stumps during the afternoon, especially when standing up to the seamers; 154 for five. Silverwood, who might well have been sent in earlier, came in next, while Bresnan finally found his slot, hoisting Keegan into the long-suffering new stand at midwicket. Then he holed out to Keegan off Hayward for 39; 175 for six in the 23rd and penultimate over.

 

Dawood (0) backed away to slog at Hayward and was bowled first ball; 176 for seven. One run later Dawson, who scored it, walked for a catch at the wicket, swinging at a widish ball from Cook in the final over. Silverwood (10) was yorked by Cook and, with Hoggard not fancying his chances of scoring 30 to win off the final ball, the innings and the match were over. Two wickets each went to Keegan, Hayward, Cook and Dalrymple.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)