Familiar one-day tale sees Yorkshire fall short

A four-wicket loss yesterday followed defeat by 28 runs when the sides met at Colwyn Bay in May.

Sandwiched in between were a string of “so near, yet so far” performances from a predominantly young Yorkshire team, which finished second-bottom of Group C, just above Unicorns.

Throw in a disappointing Twenty20 Cup campaign and Yorkshire lost 16 of their 22 limited-overs fixtures this summer.

The club’s County Championship form has been contrastingly superb, and it is no coincidence that Yorkshire have deliberately rested players for that tournament to the consequent detriment of their one-day fortunes.

Once again, with Yorkshire rightly prioritising Championship cricket as they strive for the title, it was almost as easy to look for a needle in a haystack as it was to find first-team regulars among yesterday’s line-up.

Only opening batsmen Alex Lees and Adam Lyth, plus New Zealand import Kane Williamson, can expect to play in Wednesday’s Championship game against title rivals Durham, with Yorkshire’s progress in the four-day format as seemingly responsible for the 3,000 crowd yesterday as the rarity of Bank Holiday sunshine.

Rich Pyrah captained in place of Andrew Gale, while the Harrogate-born 18-year-old Jonathan Tattersall made his List A debut.

Tattersall has been playing recently for England U19s and scored a brace of fifties earlier this month.

Sadly, there was no repeat performance this time as Tattersall fell to the day’s second ball after Yorkshire won the toss and chose to bat.

The young man was bowled by Michael Hogan after the pace bowler opened with three successive wides.

Yorkshire fell to 7-2 in the third over when Alex Lees was run-out after a mix-up with partner Dan Hodgson over a quick single.

It brought Williamson to the crease for his second innings in a Yorkshire shirt after his golden duck on debut in last week’s Championship game against Nottinghamshire.

The 23-year-old was quickly off the mark and showing signs of his quality – not least when he danced down the track to ping the left-arm spin of Dean Cosker back over his head for six towards the Rugby Stand.

Yorkshire recovered to reach 86-2 at the halfway stage, with Hodgson playing an impressive hand.

The 23-year-old wicketkeeper has talent with the bat and he displayed it en route to a 63-ball fifty that included five fours.

Hodgson and Williamson added 100 from 133 balls before Williamson chipped Jim Allenby back over his head and was well caught by Simon Jones, having scored 45 from 69 deliveries.

A maiden century looked on the cards for Hodgson as he continued to play excellent strokes all around the ground, but he fell 10 runs short when he sliced Graham Wagg to Cosker at backward-point.

Hodgson faced only 98 deliveries and struck eight fours and a six, his departure leaving Yorkshire 162-4 in the 34th over.

Lyth injected useful impetus in the closing stages, thumping 44 from 43 balls with three fours and two sixes.

The left-hander perished in the penultimate over, bowled by Hogan attempting another big hit.

Jack Leaning finished unbeaten on 24 and Oliver Robinson undefeated on four, Yorkshire’s total of 215-5 representing a decent comeback after their disappointing start.

Glamorgan’s reply began poorly when Gareth Rees holed out to Robinson at deep mid-wicket off Iain Wardlaw.

The visitors slipped to 33-2 in the eighth over when Mark Wallace fell in the same fashion to Moin Ashraf.

As with the Yorkshire innings, Glamorgan recovered through a second-wicket stand, Chris Cooke and Allenby adding 80 in 14 overs.

The partnership was ended by Williamson, whose off-spin accounted for Allenby after the all-rounder made 40 from 44 balls.

Cooke, the 27-year-old South African-born right-hander, was strong all around the ground and among the highlights of his innings was a pulled six off Pyrah.

It took a wonderful catch by Robinson to send him on his way, the youngster leaping to pluck the ball from the air on the mid-wicket boundary after Cooke connected with a delivery from Leaning.

An inch or two higher and the ball would have soared for six, Cooke departing to a warm ovation after scoring 84 from 78 balls.

Cooke’s dismissal at 160 in the 31st over was followed by that of Marcus North in the 34th, bowled by Ashraf for 25.

But Wagg thumped four sixes in a 17-ball innings of 31 – including three in an over off Pyrah – that settled the issue as Glamorgan prevailed with seven balls left.

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