Yorkshire CCC all shook up as Hampshire defeat combined with Kent’s win knocks them out of Royal London Cup

“The King” of outgrounds, if you pardon the term, was as resplendent as ever in the late August sunshine, as Tony Skingle is sure to be with his tribute act on the town’s South Bay.

A crowd of 3,505 turned out for this Group B decider, which Yorkshire had to win to be sure of progressing to the quarter-finals.

But it was “Heartbreak Hotel” for the home side as they went down by 72 runs, Kent leapfrogging them into third place to snatch the last qualifying position with a win over Lancashire.

After winning the toss on a muggy morning, which suggested that there might be more help for the bowlers than perhaps proved the case, Hampshire scored 313-9 from their 50 overs.

The leaders had already qualified but knew that a seventh win in eight group games would secure direct passage into the semi-finals without having to endure a quarter-final eliminator; in other words, they had plenty to play for.

Aneurin Donald thumped a career-best 76 from 31 balls, including five fours and six sixes, one of which went through the gap between the houses at the Trafalgar Road end off Jack Shutt, and there were also half-centuries for opener Ben Brown and No 3 Tom Prest as Hampshire raised a competitive total.

However, Yorkshire pegged them back well from 243-2 after 41 overs, the regular tumble of wickets thereafter curtailing what had threatened to be a score closer to 350.

Matty Revis took 4-77, career-best figures at first-team level, the 20-year-old bravely hanging in there when the stick was flying around.

Dom Bess chipped in with the important wickets of Prest and Nick Gubbins, while opening bowlers Ben Coad and Matthew Waite conceded less than five runs an over, no mean feat in these games.

The main damage was done during a third-wicket stand of 93 in 8.2 overs between Prest and Donald, which the latter dominated. The 25-year-old, who comes from Swansea, struck the ball cleanly over the leg-side especially, reached his fifty from 23 deliveries and at one stage hit sixes off four successive balls faced: one off Bess and three off Shutt. His departure, one ball after that of Prest, effectively precipitated Hampshire’s late innings collapse.

In reply, Yorkshire were in peril at 31-4 inside eight overs, opening bowlers Ian Holland and John Turner each taking two wickets.

Waite and Jonny Tattersall shared 55 in 40 balls but their dismissals in quick succession left Yorkshire 106-6.

Revis and Bess added 64 in 94 balls to take the total to 170-6 in the 32nd over before a wild throw from Fletcha Middleton ended Bess’s afternoon, striking him on the back of the head as he scampered a run into the offside, forcing him to retire hurt on 27.

Revis fell shortly afterwards for 41 from 57 balls, caught at point by Middleton, and although Tom Loten top-scored with an unbeaten 43 from 42 balls, with two fours and two sixes, the hosts fell short.

Ali Maiden, the Yorkshire assistant coach, said: “It was disappointing, but the lads had a really good tournament and I’m proud of their efforts. We probably didn’t get the rewards we deserved with the ball in this game; the pitch got better and they played very well, but we stuck in brilliantly and our attitude was superb.

“With the bat, we needed someone to get a big score. They nipped four out early and it was hard to come back from that. The lads gave their all and it wasn’t to be.”

Bess was the only change to the team that beat Derbyshire on Sunday, returing in place of Harry Sullivan. Yorkshire started well - Waite opening up with two successive maidens from the Peasholm Park end before openers Gubbins and Brown took control. They had added 87 inside 19 overs when Bess struck with his fourth delivery, trapping Gubbins as he tried to sweep.

It was 109-1 at halfway, Bess having dragged things back well for his side, Brown’s busy innings then ending when he slapped Revis to cover to leave Hampshire 150-2 in the 33rd.

Donald and Prest sped things along, Prest firing a couple of sixes of his own before lofting Bess to long-off. Donald skied Waite to cover before Hampshire’s lower order mostly gave catching practice.

Hampshire bowled well in the early stages - Will Fraine was castled by one that came back; Harry Duke top-edged a pull to mid-wicket; George Hill was bowled by a superb ball that swung back sharply, and Fin Bean was turned around and caught behind.

Tattersall’s run-a-ball effort ended when he top-edged to mid-wicket, and Waite was undone by a delivery of extra bounce that he edged to the keeper.

Coad skied to mid-on, Sullivan - Bess’s concussion substitute - was bowled and Shutt skied to the keeper, Turner finishing with 5-41.