Yorkshire youngsters will benefit from T20 experience

THERE are two ways of looking at Yorkshire’s elimination from the Champions League.

On the one hand you could say they did extremely well to get there in the first place with a generally young and inexperienced side, a side missing several key players and one that has also been hampered by injury.

On the other, after winning both their qualifying games in such magnificent style to reach the main tournament, you could say they did not quite fulfil their potential in the competition proper.

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Both, in fact, are perfectly valid after Yorkshire’s hopes of emulating Somerset’s achievement last year by reaching the semi-finals were ended by a five-wicket defeat to Highveld Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

It was Yorkshire’s best performance in the group stage so far, which ends for them today with their fourth and final game against Chennai Super Kings in Durban (12.30pm start UK time).

Andrew Gale’s men showed all the fighting qualities that took them to South Africa in the first place as a side missing two-thirds of their pace attack in the injured Ryan Sidebottom and Moin Ashraf battled with plenty of heart at the Wanderers.

After Yorkshire scored 131-7 from their 20 overs, the Lions scraped home unconvincingly with four balls to spare to claim the second semi-final place in Group B behind Sydney Sixers.

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It was a desperately close match – exactly the sort of match Yorkshire made a habit of winning last summer – and one which perhaps summed up a competition which, for them, has been a case of so near, yet so far.

Of course, as Gale said later, the tournament has primarily been about the acquisition of experience from which his players can benefit going forward.

In that respect the lessons learned will be valuable – and all the more so because, for the most part, they have been tough ones.

In Yorkshire’s opening group game, Sydney condemned them to the joint-11th heaviest Twenty20 defeat in terms of balls remaining (67), while Mumbai Indians were well-placed on 156-6 from 17.5 overs when rain washed out their second fixture in Cape Town.

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However, when the dust has settled on their South African adventure, Yorkshire can reflect, first and foremost, on some outstanding displays in Twenty20 this year and the fact that they alone flew the flag for England in the main part of the Champions League.

“Although we’ve gone out in the main part of the tournament, we’ve had a terrific tournament overall,” said Gale.

“We’re missing seven of our main players from what we had in the domestic competition and the lads who have played have got some great experience.

“They’ve come into the side and grabbed their opportunity with both hands.

“They’ll learn from this.”

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Gale felt Yorkshire’s total against the Lions – after he lost the toss beneath dreary skies – was 15 to 20 runs light.

Had it not been, they would almost certainly have won, despite the raw appearance of their pace armoury.

Gale was not at his fluent best against a wily Lions’ attack although he gave his side a solid platform with fellow opener Phil Jaques, the pair adding 54 before Gale skied Dwaine Pretorius to the wicketkeeper.

Joe Root would have been similarly disappointed to sweep his eighth delivery straight down the throat of deep square-leg and Yorkshire slipped to 67-3 in the 11th when Jaques played too soon at Alviro Petersen and was bowled trying to hit across the line having scored 31 from 29 balls, the experienced Australian once more falling when well-set.

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Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance stabilised proceedings as Yorkshire reached 97-3 from 15 overs, well-placed to push up to a score in the region of 140 to 150.

However, the loss of four wickets for 34 runs in the last five overs was not what the doctor ordered as Lyth picked out deep backward square, Ballance sliced to short third-man and Adil Rashid fell lbw to a slower ball, Azeem Rafiq lofting the final delivery of the innings to cover.

Aaron Phangiso, whose left-arm spin has been a highlight of the tournament, led the bowling charge with 2-23, well supported by Sohail Tanvir’s 2-25.

The main blot on the Lions’ exhibition was the concession of nine wides and one no-ball, a grim statistic.

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Although Yorkshire’s total was below par, it did not seem indefensible provided they bowled well – which, by and large, they did.

Iain Wardlaw was outstanding on his way to 1-23 from four overs, beginning the Lions’ innings with a maiden and claiming the wicket of rising young star Quinton de Kock, who skied him to wicketkeeper Dan Hodgson for the top score of 32.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the other stand-in pace man, claimed the wicket of Petersen with a good ball that shaped away from him and should not reproach himself too much for the fact that his final over – the penultimate one of the innings – went for 14.

Steve Patterson was his usual consistent self, accounting for the prolific Gulam Bodi lbw and having Pretorius caught by substitute fielder Eddie Wilson at deep extra-cover for 25 from 14 deliveries. Rafiq was brilliant, returning 1-14 from four overs, including the wicket of Neil McKenzie lbw, and that after de Kock had slapped his first ball over mid-wicket for six.

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However, Rashid suffered once again, the leg-spinner bowling three wicket-less overs for 36 – including 14 off his final over at a time when Yorkshire had appeared to rein in the Lions by squeezing them to 91-4 off 15.

As it was, some lusty hitting from Jean Symes took Highveld home, the left-hander striking an unbeaten 27 from 22 balls with three fours and a six to end Yorkshire hopes.