Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire Lightning: Fireworks aplenty as Roses match is decided on final ball

Blast crowds have been down this summer across the country, as The Hundred continues to cannibalise the game, but the Roses retains its own special lustre.

David Lloyd, yet another victim of the you-know-what, recently described it as “the best game in the world” in T20. Lloyd had commentated on enough of them to know before his contract with Sky came to an end.

The less said about the you-know-what the better – this match was played to the backdrop of an acknowledgement from Yorkshire that no disciplinary process was followed in their decision to sack a number of coaching and backroom staff.

Instead the cricket took centre stage on a pleasant evening, Yorkshire falling short in pursuit of Lancashire’s 213-5 despite having been 36 runs ahead of them at the 16-over mark (182-4 against 146-4).

It was tough luck on Tom Kohler-Cadmore, in particular, who top-scored with 77 from 43 balls with nine fours and four sixes, and David Willey, who bludgeoned 52 from 28 with four sixes and three fours.

Dominic Drakes needed to hit a six off the final ball to win it and could not have come closer to doing so, the West Indian brilliantly caught on the backward-point boundary off Danny Lamb by Tom Hartley, who just managed to keep his feet inside the rope.

After Yorkshire sent the North Group leaders into bat, Lancashire amassed a decent-looking total on a true pitch. Tim David top-scored with 66 from 32 balls with six sixes and four fours; Keaton Jennings chipped in with 42 from 28; Steven Croft hit 41 from 24 and Dane Vilas, the captain, an undefeated 40 from 20.

Willey was the most economical bowler with 1-36, closely followed by Drakes with 1-37. Jordan Thompson returned 2-52, his last two wicket-less overs disappearing for 43 after he had started with two overs that yielded 2-9.

As sunshine graced the famous old stadium, Yorkshire showed three changes to the side that beat Notts on Monday. Finn Allen dropped out after testing positive for coronavirus, denying him the chance to play against his former club, and Yorkshire of their most dynamic batsman, perhaps.

Harry Brook was back with England and Jack Shutt omitted, with Dawid Malan and Dom Bess returning from side and knee niggles respectively.

Willey landed the first punch in the third over when he had Phil Salt caught at cover by Malan.

Lancashire were 57-1 at the end of a powerplay that was something of a curate’s egg from Yorkshire’s perspective, with Bess and Matt Revis’s opening overs both disappearing for 15 before Drakes dragged it back in a sixth over that contained only a single and a leg bye.

Jennings and Croft shared 72 for the second-wicket in 43 balls, Thompson breaking the stand when Croft sliced to Drakes at short third-man. It left Lancashire 92-2 in the 10th, which became 95-3 in the 11th when Adil Rashid had danger man Liam Livingstone taken at mid-wicket by Willey, who did extremely well to cling on once the ball had finally dropped out of the stratosphere.

Thompson struck again when Jennings sliced a wide delivery to Malan on the third-man boundary, leaving Lancashire 100-4 in the 12th, at which point the innings was in the balance.

David and Vilas shared 96 in 44 to give Lancashire a good total, David reaching his half-century from 26 balls before holing out to Jonny Tattersall at long-on off Drakes.

Malan lofted the third ball of the reply to long-off, but Kohler-Cadmore and Adam Lyth had shared 119 in 56 when the latter was caught in the leg-side in the 10th over after striking 38 from 19.

Kohler-Cadmore was caught at deep mid-wicket; Will Fraine taken at mid-off; Tattersall lbw on the sweep; Willey caught-and-bowled and Thompson bowled as Yorkshire came up agonisingly short.