Yorkshire complete excellent chase
Thu 16 Jun 2016
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
Today was like Christmas Eve for me as the Premiership Fixtures for 2016/2017 season were released at 9.00am. I spent time before the start of play eagerly beavering away looking at my list of assignments for the nine months commencing Saturday 13 August.
Whilst fully engrossed in my task I received a message from Mrs Johnson (who headed to the KPS this morning, Priority two day), to inform me that she had secured me a ticket for Celtic away on 23 July in the International Champions Cup. Good old Jilliano!
Yesterday I had another pleasant early evening wandering blissfully around the streets of York, taking onboard refreshment at regular intervals. I won’t go into detail of my observations as I know this is a family friendly website.
A dull, grey and gloomy morning greeted us upon our arrival at Clifton Park for day three of this SEC encounter. At 10.10am I noticed that the Umpires were on the square peering at their light meters with relish, and looks of admiration on their faces.
There were three autograph hunters present before play started, and they were lying in wait for the players like a pack of hungry wolves. After having a chat to them they were good blokes, very knowledgeable on cricket, and stalwarts of the county circuit. One of them even asked yours truly for a signature!
Leicestershire resumed on their overnight 39-1, a lead of 130 with Dearden 26* and Lambert 6*. Dearden (30) was out in the third over of the day caught at backward point by Gale off spinner Rafiq. The Bury Bulldog making his way back to his kennel early in the day’s proceedings.
Irfan Karim joined Lambert, and the former proceeded to play some delightful shots, despatching seamer Will Rhodes for three consecutive boundaries from the 4th, 5th, and 6th balls he received.
Lambert meanwhile, known as the 'York Yeoman' in these parts, was tucking into the bowling, with the same amount of vigour that his Leicester namesake Daniel may have done when there was food to be had.
The duo brought up their 50 partnership from 70 balls with the score on 96-2 from 30.2 overs.
Karim (34) departed trying to force the pace when he was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary by Elliott Callis off left arm paceman James Wainman. Karim looks an accomplished player, and appears to have more shots in his locker than you would see on a bar in Ibiza. County now on 103-3 from 31.3 overs.
Matt Stokes (6) went lbw to spinner Jack Shutt, one of a number of batsmen to ‘take one for the team’. Ollie Freckingham (9) went to a superb one-handed catch by Ryan Gibson, diving forward at cover, off the bowling seamer of Ed Barnes, leaving County on 132-5 from 41.1 overs.
Leo Cammish joined Lambert, who soon afterwards went to his 50 (6x4/110 balls). Cammish going ‘downtown’ to launch a massive six off Shutt early in his innings.
The express Jarrod Warner was then introduced to the attack at the Pavilion End. The umpires had been very proactive overnight, and had provided Jarrod with a book of stamps, so that he could send the batsmen a postcard when he was starting his run up, to let them know he was on his way at full throttle!
County went into lunch on 169-5 from 49 overs a lead of 260. Lambert 66* and Cammish 14*. Leicestershire batted for a further 3.5 overs after lunch during which time they added 39 runs.
Lambert was particularly brutal of spinner Rafiq, launching him for two maximums and three fours. Cammish (19) sacrificed himself caught at long-on by Andrew Gale off Warner. Lambert’s fine innings of 97 came to an end when he was unselfishly stumped by Birkhead off Rafiq. A magnanimous gesture by Lambert when a century for him was there for the taking.
His knock also included two very powerful reverse sweeps that went to the boundary. Lambert posting his highest Second XI score, beating the 91 he scored for Warwickshire 2s against Nottinghamshire last season. Lambert facing 143 balls (12x4/2x6) with County declaring on 208-7, leaving Yorkshire to score 300 to win from a minimum of 57 overs at an asking rate of 5.26 per over.
County took two early wickets, but that was about as good as it got as a result of a brilliant unbroken partnership of 172 between Gibson and Rafiq.
Early in the innings Callis (3) went lbw to Matt Wareing, and Will Rhodes was bowled by a beauty from Chad Barrett. Barrett was working up a lively pace from the Pavilion End, busily and enthusiastically running in to bowl. The words maximum effort and commitment sum up Chad in a nutshell. A glimmer of hope for County with Yorkshire at 21-2.
Gale and Gibson repaired the damage putting on 50 from 71 balls, with Gibson going to his half-century (9x4/1x6/39 balls) with a maximum over third man. Yorkshire went into tea on 108-2. Gale 29* and Gibson 55*. Yorkshire needing a further 192 to win from a minimum of 33 overs.
With the second ball after tea, Barrett took a splendid diving caught and bowled to dismiss Gale (31). Gale not a force to be reckoned with anymore in this match. Waite (11) was bowled by Sykes leaving Yorkshire on 129-4 with 27.5 overs remaining. Gibson and Rafiq then forged their unbroken partnership.
Gibson went to his 100 (15x4/1x6/92 balls) and at the start of the last hour Yorkshire needed 99 to win from a minimum 16 overs.
The 100 partnership between the pair came up from 94 balls. Gibson went to his 150 (20x4/1x6/141 balls): a career best Second XI score for Gibson. Rafiq went to his 50 (3x4/1x6/43 balls) and the 150 partnership came up from 128 balls. Yorkshire getting over the line on 301-4 with 3.4 overs remaining and therefore winning by 6 wickets. The game finished at 5.55pm.
On the plus side County had 3 players who achieved personal best at Second XI level in this match: Dearden, Sayer and Lambert. Cammish also kept wicket well with only one set of byes in the whole match. A good game of cricket played with the true spirit by all concerned. Yorkshire 22 points, Leicestershire 6 points.
* Thursday’s Second XI Trophy game between the sides, scheduled to be played at Pudsey Congs CC, was abandoned without a ball bowled.
