It’s Not Unusual as inconsistency rears its head for Yorkshire CCC

Whether they can finally end 22 years of frustration by winning the Metro Bank One-Day Cup remains to be seen.

But overcoming a tendency towards inconsistency remains the biggest problem after they once again followed victory with defeat to make it ‘won two, lost two’ in the eight-match group stage.

As was the case in the Vitality Blast, when they won six and lost seven of their group matches, Yorkshire have started this tournament in Jekyll and Hyde style – up one minute and down the next, not unlike the Grand Old Duke of York and his 10,000 men.

After winning the toss, Gloucestershire made 251-9, Ollie Price striking 98 from 118 balls with 11 fours and Miles Hammond 54 from 91 deliveries with seven fours, Ben Coad’s 2-27 the pick of the figures.

Shan Masood hit 76 in the Yorkshire reply, from 68 balls with seven fours and a six, and James Wharton 56 from 83 deliveries, with three fours and three sixes, the pair sharing 113 for the third wicket, but the hosts were unable to see the job through as the visitors prevailed by 36 runs.

As was the case on Wednesday, when Yorkshire beat Sussex here, Clifton Park looked a picture, the weather agreeable, the atmosphere convivial. The pitch again promised plenty of runs, despite the fact it was the same used surface, with Yorkshire fielding an unchanged side.

Coad struck in a probing first spell, as he so often does, the Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft caught behind for 13 – unlucky for him. But Hammond and Price added 88 for the second wicket in 19.1 overs, laying the platform for what, at that stage, looked likely to be a sizeable score.

Yorkshire did not allow them to get away, though, Coad conceding just 19 runs in his first seven-over burst, and all-rounder George Hill 14 runs in his first six overs. One of the few attacking shots against Hill produced arguably the shot of the day, Price driving majestically through mid-on to the side of the pavilion, drawing sporting applause from the 3,639 crowd.

Dan Moriarty, the left-arm spinner, broke the second-wicket stand by bowling the reverse-sweeping Hammond, which left the visitors 124-2 in the 30th over. Gloucestershire rather lost their way in the closing stages, pegged back well by the home attack, supported by keen and enthusiastic fielding.

Ben Cliff took two wickets in an over, bowling James Bracey off an inside edge and having Ben Charlesworth caught behind, and Coad returned to have Jack Taylor chopping on. After Graeme van Buuren played on to Moriarty, Hill bowled an advancing Price two shy of his century.

Tom Smith launched Matty Revis to Wharton at deep mid-wicket, and Hill struck with the last delivery of the innings by bowling Matt Taylor. It left Gloucestershire with a competitive total – but no more.

The Yorkshire reply was in early distress. Fin Bean was bowled trying to leave, and Will Luxton had part of his middle stump sent flying – both openers gone with 24 on the board.

Masood eased to fifty from 52 balls, settling into his work well alongside Wharton, the pair gradually taking the sting out of the situation. Not until the penultimate delivery of the 27th over were they separated, Masood adjudged caught behind driving at Taylor, a decision with which he seemed less than impressed.

When Taylor struck again in his next over, bowling Hill, Yorkshire were 143-4 in the 29th, the game back in the balance.

Harry Duke pulled Dominic Goodman to mid-wicket and then Yorkshire lost the key scalp of Wharton, who, one ball after clubbing van Buuren for six over mid-wicket, sliced the spinner to backward point.

Dom Bess was lbw to Ajeet Singh Dale for a single, another questionable umpiring decision, and Coad ran himself out as he sought to pinch a single to mid-wicket.

Revis fought valiantly to score 41 from 47 balls with three fours and a six, but when he holed out on the straight boundary off Goodman, the game was up.

Moriarty was last out, caught in the deep off van Buuren, as Yorkshire were dismissed for 215, inconsistency rearing its head once more.