WHO would have thought that after Mark Ramprakash's historic century and Michael Vaughan's shock resignation, the weekend's cricketing drama in Yorkshire was still building to a crescendo?
A Pro40 Division Two match against Leicestershire's collection of Southern Hemisphere journeymen was an unlikely setting for a classic, but yesterday's game was one of the most pulsating imaginable as Yorkshire squeezed home by one run.
It is a cl
ear sign of nerve-jangling tension when spectators – and not just the drunken ones – are avidly cheering every rare instance of a dot ball.
Leicestershire had seemed dead and buried when, in response to Yorkshire's record 40-over score of 303-4, they found themselves needing to score 10 runs an over for the last 17 overs with just five wickets intact.
Somehow, in an astonishing comeback, they managed to keep the required run-rate in hand without losing more than one wicket, hitting 14 sixes in all, and they began the penultimate over needing 18, with four wickets still in hand.
Darren Gough, a wily old pro at the death and the pick of Yorkshire's attack yesterday, conceded two singles and a four, but then bowled Claude Henderson. Leicestershire had no more big hitters but all-rounder Dillon du Preez was still at the other end, having bludgeoned 98 runs off just 60 balls.
Jigar Naik blocked out Gough's last two deliveries but will regret not having a big swing.
It was down to du Preez, one of six South Africans in the Leicestershire XI, along with an Australian, to score 12 runs from six deliveries from Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
He edged the first ball to the third-man boundary. Advantage Leicestershire. But Rana, too, is a clever bowler, despite his no-ball in the third-last over yesterday, and his changes of line, length and pace outfoxed du Preez. Two dot balls, thanks in part to more scrambling stops from wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy and, even better for Yorkshire, a single.
Seven needed to win from two balls and Naik, who should have sacrificed himself to come back for a non-existent second run, was on strike. Rana restricted him to a single and with six needed off the last delivery, the Pakistani made sure it was in the block-hole, denying du Preez the chance to get any elevation. The four he struck through mid-on was no use.
The nail-biting excitement had not seemed likely until Tom Smith and du Preez belted 49 runs in three overs from Yorkshire's spinners in a blizzard of sixes, mostly over wide mid-on.
Gough had just managed to juggle his resources. With Anthony McGrath still injured, Gough only had three front-line seamers at his disposal, plus all-rounder Richard Pyrah, who took some tap but picked up two wickets and also claimed two fine catches.
His difficulty was that both of his spinners had been expensive, as had Leicestershire's: Henderson and Naik went for a combined 62 runs off six overs, David Wainwright conceded 50 runs from his five overs and Adil Rashid disappeared for 40 off three, all four bowlers suffering from the short boundary in front of the east stand.
Gough had to get eight overs out of Wainwright and Rashid. By the time he could rely on just himself and Rana, 35 were needed from four overs. The senior fast-bowlers held their nerve. Just.
Yorkshire's total was founded on an opening partnership of 170 between Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale, who made 120 and 89 respectively.
Gale assumed the role of pinch-hitter, prepared to take risks while hitting over the infield, while his partner initially anchored the innings. Pulling driving and cutting with his customary muscularity, so strong that even his mis-hits flew for four, he brought up his half-century off only 40 balls.
Once the pair had passed 100, in only the 16th over, Rudolph began to improvise, reverse-sweeping Naik for four, and Henderson for six. His second 50 came off only 26 balls.
By that time, Gale had been run out needlessly. A minor lull followed, before Brophy's clean hitting took the score beyond 300.
Tim Bresnan struck with the second ball of Leicestershire's innings and with Rana claiming two quick wickets, the visitors were soon 42-3.
Lusty biffing from Paul Nixon and Jim Allenby seemed only a minor inconvenience, but du Preez, Smith and Henderson almost pulled off one of the great run-chases.
Pro40 cricket might be doomed, but it often provides a thrilling spectacle.
DISPLAY OF THE DAYDillon du Preez
Leicestershire's opening bowler and No 7 blasted a punishing century off just 61 balls, with seven sixes and eight fours and deserved to be on the winning side. Yorkshire's spinners will not want to encounter him again in a hurry.
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