Tricky Week Sees Yorkshire Lose Ground
Yorkshire’s record in the 2024 Vitality Blast now reads won three, lost three after a difficult week in the most recent round of fixtures.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had beaten Derbyshire in the previous game before heading for Edgbaston to take on Birmingham Bears – who were eager to bounce back to form after suffering a run of defeats.
Yorkshire were put in to bat first but lost Adam Lyth early on when he was bowled for just three by Richard Gleason, although Dawid Malan and Joe Root were able to battle back after putting on a partnership of 62 before Root was caught off the bowling of Danny Briggs.
Shan Masood fell shortly afterwards for just ten, with Donovan Ferreira and Malan following suit in quick succession to leave Yorkshire on 108-5 and the wickets would continue to tumble at regular intervals through to the point that Conor McKerr was last man out – with his side dismissed for 145.
Having seen the impact of spin bowling during their innings, Yorkshire sent Dan Moriarty out to bowl the first over and it proved to be the right call as he had Alex Davies caught by Masood.
Fellow opener Rob Yates followed soon afterwards when he was bowled by Dom Bess to leave the Bears on 16-2 but Dan Mousley and Sam Hain settled the nerves with a 50 partnership before Mousley was dismissed for 41.
Hain however ensured that the runs kept ticking over, helped in no small part by a quick-fire 32 from Jacob Bethell. Although Chris Benjamin and Chris Woakes both fell cheaply to the bowling of Jordan Thompson – who took an impressive 4-31 – Birmingham secured victory by four wickets and consigned Yorkshire to defeat.
From there, Yorkshire moved on to face Leicestershire at Headingley, with the visitors winning the toss and electing to go in and bat first.
A knock of 64 from Rishi Patel was key to Leicestershire setting Yorkshire a target of 167 after an innings where wickets fell at regular stages – with Matthew Revis taking 2-10 and Jafer Chohan 2-29, whilst Dom Bess conceded just 23 from his four overs.
Yorkshire looked to heading toward victory when they reached 100 for the loss of two wickets, with Lyth having been dismissed for 21 and Malan making 35.
However, when Joe Root was caught off the bowling of Lewis Goldsworthy, it would trigger a collapse that saw the home side eventually fall short of their target as they could only reach 146-9 by the close to give Leicestershire a 20 run victory.
Yorkshire sit seventh in the northern group as a result.
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