Derbyshire Falcons v Yorkshire Carnegie: Rudolph shows his class yet again for Yorkshire

IF this is to be Jacques Rudolph's last season with Yorkshire, he is clearly determined to go out on a high.

The South African left-hander, who last week declined to comment on whether he will see out the final year of his contract at Headingley Carnegie, continued his remarkable form in all competitions at the picturesque setting of Queen's Park Oval.

Rudolph scored a majestic 105 as Yorkshire made 276-6 after being sent into bat.

It was enough to see off a spirited Derbyshire, who hit 268-8 in reply as Group B leaders Yorkshire achieved their seventh win in eight CB 40 League games.

Rudolph, 29, has been tipped for a return to South Africa colours after some prolific performances in county cricket He is keen to resume an international career which has been in abeyance since August 2006.

After scoring 141 against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship last Thursday, Rudolph gave an ambiguous statement on his Yorkshire future.

"At the moment, I'm still contracted to Yorkshire," he said. "I don't want to comment any further."

If Rudolph does not return for a fifth season at Headingley, where the players and supporters have taken him to heart, here was further evidence of the void he will leave.

His sixth one-day century for the club – and his second of the summer – was another masterful feast of stylish stroke play.

It maintained Rudolph's exceptional run in the 40-over competition, which has proved to be a happy hunting ground.

His scores prior to yesterday were 101*, 83, 26, 83*, 86*, 12 and 6, complementing the 1,103 runs he has made in Championship cricket.

After Derbyshire surprisingly opted to field, Rudolph and Andrew Gale gave Yorkshire a splendid platform on a decent pitch.

They took advantage of some wayward bowling from the home seamers, with Mark Footitt particularly profligate, and dealt comfortably with anything deserving of respect.

The Yorkshire openers did not have everything their own way, however, with both enjoying an early reprieve.

Rudolph, on 16, was dropped by Chesney Hughes at slip off Tim Groenewald, the ball ricocheting away for four, while Gale, on 21, was caught at mid-off by Chris Rogers off a no-ball from Graham Wagg.

Gale eventually fell for 27, caught at backward square-leg after failing to get enough leverage on a short one from Wagg.

It left Yorkshire 79-1 in the 12th over and belatedly gave Derbyshire something to cheer.

After a steady start, Rudolph accelerated through the gears as he treated the crowd to some handsome strokes.

One sumptuous flick through mid-wicket off Footitt will live in the memory, the batsman seemingly putting no effort into a shot that blazed to the boundary.

Rudolph went to his half-century from 52 balls and celebrated by striking the first six of the day, whipping Garry Park high over mid-wicket towards the first aid van.

The only other semblance of a chance offered by Rudolph came on 94, when he top-edged Groenewald not far out of the reach of Jon Clare at long-leg.

After Adam Lyth recorded a fine half-century from 57 deliveries, Rudolph brought up his hundred with a neat tuck off the legs off Groenewald, reaching the landmark from 103 balls..

Lyth struck Groenewald for a superb straight six into the timber-framed pavilion, sending spectators scurrying for cover, and had added 144 with Rudolph in 22 overs when the South African fell with the total on 223 in the 34th over.

Rudolph holed out to mid-off, where Rogers claimed the catch off Groenewald, who then bowled Jonathan Bairstow for a golden duck.

Lyth deserved a hundred but fell nine runs short when he picked out deep mid-wicket off Wagg, having faced 81 balls and struck nine fours and two sixes.

Yorkshire lost two further wickets in the final stages, Gerard Brophy top-edging Footitt to the wicketkeeper and Tim Bresnan bowled by Wagg. Anthony McGrath finished unbeaten on 31 from 17 deliveries.

Yorkshire's total eclipsed their previous best against Derbyshire in 40-over cricket – 248-5 at Queen's Park in 1979.

Derbyshire's innings got off to a poor start when Rogers was run-out by a direct hit from mid-wicket by Lyth.

The hosts slipped to 53-2 in the ninth over when Robin Petersen edged Bresnan to Adil Rashid in the slips.

Hughes went to a fine half-century from 43 balls before becoming the third wicket to fall on 89 when he drove Steve Patterson to Gale at cover.

Derbyshire fell to 163-4 when Wes Durston was caught at point by Rashid off McGrath and to 189-5 when Wayne Madsen was caught in the same position off a switch-hit off Patterson, having made 65 from 57 balls.

Ajmal Shahzad had Clare caught at long-on, McGrath removed Park lbw and Richard Pyrah had Steve Adshead held at deep mid-wicket as Derbyshire came up narrowly short.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Jacque Rudolph

The South African led the way with a brilliant 105, made from 107 balls with 11 fours and a six.

Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B

Derbyshire Falcons v Yorkshire Carnegie

Chesterfield: Yorkshire beat Derbyshire by 8 runs.

Yorkshire

A W Gale c Groenewald b Wagg 27

J A Rudolph c Rogers b Groenewald 105

A Lyth c Peterson b Wagg 91

J M Bairstow b Groenewald 0

A McGrath not out 31

G L Brophy c Adshead b Footitt 1

T T Bresnan b Wagg 1

A Shahzad not out 3

Extras b2 lb5 w8 nb2 17

Total 6 wkts (40 overs) 276

Fall: 1-79 2-223 3-223 4-262 5-266 6-272.

Did Not Bat: A U Rashid, R M Pyrah, S A Patterson.

Bowling: Groenewald 8 0 42 2, Footitt 7 0 50 1, Wagg 8 0 56 3, Clare 1 0 12 0, Durston 6 0 37 0, Peterson 7 0 41 0, Park 3 0 31 0.

Derbyshire

C J L Rogers run out 1

C F Hughes c Gale b Patterson 54

R J Peterson c A U Rashid b Bresnan 19

W L Madsen c Lyth b Patterson 65

W J Durston c A U Rashid b McGrath 26

G T Park lbw b McGrath 30

J L Clare c Rudolph b Shahzad 6

G G Wagg not out 27

S J Adshead c Bairstow b Pyrah 8

T D Groenewald not out 13

Extras b4 lb5 w6 nb4 19

Total 8 wkts (40 overs) 268

Fall: 1-10 2-53 3-89 4-163 5-189 6-215 7-220 8-244.

Did Not Bat: M H A Footitt.

Bowling: Bresnan 8 0 56 1, Shahzad 8 0 52 1, Patterson 8 0 39 2, Pyrah 8 0 61 1, A U Rashid 4 0 27 0, McGrath 4 0 24 2.