Why Yorkshire CCC's latest T20 heartache hurts more than all those before

Craig Overton, Somerset’s No 9, dragged his side from 82-8 in the 15th over to a target of 162 with an innings that defied all logic: 79 not out from 30 balls, five sixes, eight fours, and Yorkshire’s hearts broken at the death.

“Craig apologised to us on the way off,” said Anthony McGrath, the Yorkshire head coach, whose team lost by two wickets with one ball left. It was the sporting equivalent of Albert Pierrepoint, the famous executioner, offering condolences to the family of the condemned man — a gesture that acknowledged the pain without easing it.

McGrath looked stunned afterwards, as did his players and staff. Little wonder. It is hard to recall a more improbable Headingley comeback outside the realms of Botham and Stokes, or a more outrageous innings full stop.

Overton, who had never previously passed fifty in 75 T20 innings, admitted he had “never struck a ball like that before”, adding: “To do it in this scenario, when the team needed it most, is pretty special.”

Somerset now go to Finals Day for the sixth year running — a remarkable feat by the three-time champions. Yorkshire, meanwhile, are left to ask again what they must do to win their first T20 trophy – and indeed their first limited-over silverware since 2002. Answers on a postcard.

One of only four counties never to have won the T20, alongside Derbyshire, Durham and Glamorgan, Yorkshire had a brilliant chance this year. As such, this was the biggest kick in the teeth that they have suffered since the tournament launched in 2003, more so than their defeat to Hampshire in the 2012 final, which remains their best-ever finish, that match following much more of a routine pattern than the fanciful conclusion to Wednesday’s game.

“It was pretty cruel,” reflected McGrath. “We’ll never have a better chance of getting to Finals Day, certainly. I thought we were brilliant for most of the game, and when you’re defending 70 off four overs with two wickets left, you should do it. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it.”

Ultimately, Overton’s innings highlighted two truths.

First, no T20 game is won or lost until the last ball is bowled. No position is beyond recovery now, no cause too hopeless given the strength that teams possess right down the batting order.

Yorkshire themselves proved that in their two matches against Derbyshire — one improbably won at Headingley, the other tied in similarly unlikely fashion at Chesterfield. Matty Revis, the hero in that match, suffered last-over agony at Overton’s hands, the game, as ever, a great leveller.

Second, you cannot legislate for a truly outstanding individual performance — a “one in a hundred” innings, as McGrath called it. They arrive infrequently and, when they do, you simply tip your hat and say, “well played”. There is always an element of luck along the way: a ball that just evades a fielder’s outstretched grasp, an umpiring call that goes a certain way, the format itself a lottery of fine margins.

Yorkshire’s defeat proved that for all the priority that a club might give to a format, for all the money spent on high-quality signings, there is no guarantee of success. They gave it a right proper go this year, bringing in experienced campaigners such as A.J. Tye and the two Alis, Moeen and Hassan, and left no stone unturned. Yet still they fell short, which only deepened the frustration.

Tye was terrific for large parts of the tournament — 21 wickets at 20.14 representing the joint third-best return going into Finals Day, alongside Northamptonshire’s James Sales. Hassan was Herculean — 27 wickets at 13.07 putting him well clear at the top of the wicket-taking chart, five above Hampshire’s Scott Currie. Adam Lyth scored nearly 500 runs, Jonny Bairstow almost 400, and Jafer Chohan chipped in with 16 wickets.

Might Chohan have been used in the quarter-final rather than going all-out seam? Perhaps. Then again, Somerset left out Jack Leach, their premier spinner, and bowled only two overs of Lewis Goldsworthy on a pitch that favoured a faster attack. There is always plenty to analyse in retrospect.

McGrath was disinclined to talk about progress on Wednesday night — the disappointment too raw — but there has been progress. Yorkshire played some really good cricket in the group stages, beating semi-finalists Notts home and away and looking like a well-oiled unit. For 35 overs of the Somerset match, they were in control and dominant against the holders; so much so, the tannoy announcer had already called their progress to Finals Day.

But, rather like the Argentina football team a few hours later, five minutes from losing their World Cup semi-final to England, Somerset found a way to get over the line. That, ultimately, is what the very best do — and what Yorkshire, for all their good cricket this summer, are striving to emulate.