On a blazing hot morning, the Roses match that started off Finals Day provided great entertainment for the full house at Edgbaston. Over 400 runs were scored before Lancashire Lightning achieved a stunning run chase to win by six wickets with more than an over to spare.
Needing 205 to reach their target, Lancashire seemed to have a mountain to climb far bigger than the Pennines that separate the two counties. Nevertheless, they set off like a high speed train. Phil Salt struck 36 off just 15 balls and took 29 off an over from Matt Revis before edging behind to the last ball of the over.
By the end of the Powerplay, Lancashire, despite also losing Steven Croft, were 89-2, a full 23 runs ahead of where Yorkshire had been.
Although Shadab Khan and Dom Bess did their best to stem the run-flow, by the halfway stage, Keaton Jennings and Dane Vilas had taken the White Rose county to 120-2, well ahead of their asking rate. Jennings reached his 50 off 31 balls with six fours and one six.
The match and a place in the big Final were rapidly slipping away from the Vikings and mis-fields crept in. Jennings and Vilas were on cruise control. Although Shadab Khan and Dom Bess’ eight overs cost a relatively economical 65 runs, wickets were desperately needed and were not forthcoming.
The introduction of Adam Lyth may have produced a catch on the mid-wicket boundary but it was off a free hit and 17 came from the over. It was only when Dominic Drakes returned that Jennings skied a catch to deep mid off to depart for 75 off 51 balls. At 181-3, Lancashire Lightning were in sight of the finishing line and Vilas took them nearer when he reached his 50 off 29 balls.
Matt Revis managed a consolation wicket when a just legitimate full toss saw Tim David depart to a square leg boundary catch. Revis also spilt a possible return catch from Luke Wells but it would have made little difference as Dane Vilas launched a square cut for six to take Lancashire home by six wickets with eight balls to spare
Back at the start of the day, having won the toss and decided to bat, Yorkshire lost Adam Lyth in the first over when he sliced a full length ball from Luke Wood to Tom Hartley on the boundary at deep backward point.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore initially looked as though his stay at the crease would be as impermanent as his time at Yorkshire – he joins Somerset at the end of the season. Three mis-timed shots almost went to hand before he found his touch and took 20 runs off Richard Gleeson’s second over.
66-1 off the Powerplay looked to be about par on a pitch that was true and firm – kudos to groundsman Gary Barwell once again.
The introduction of spin in the person of Matt Parkinson brought immediate dividends as he beat Dawid Malan in the air and bowled him for 33 – 69-2.
After Kohler-Cadmore survived an lbw review against Parkinson, the dangerous Harry Brook tried to dab a ball from Luke Wells out on the off side and was was bowled. Maybe unable to cope with the idea of leg-spin at both ends, the Edgbaston scoreboard, temporarily and unlike the crowd, froze.
Phil Salt was convinced that, leaping to his left, he had caught Kohler-Cadmore off Gleeson but the umpires disagreed and the (for the moment) Yorkshireman went to his 50 with a six off Hartley, scored off 37 alls with five fours and two sixes.
Wells proved an unlikely bowling star for Lancashire when he bowled Kohler-Cadmore for 66. He could have had a third wicket when Jordan Thompson blasted the ball back at him but he couldn’t quite hang on.
It was Thompson who provided the late impetus that Yorkshire needed. He took 20 off Danny Lamb’s over (the 18th), with three huge sixes and then swung Gleeson for another two. He reached 50 off just 17 balls with six sixes. He hadn’t bothered to hit a single four. Gleeson had a terrible time of it, conceding 55 runs before getting revenge of sorts by having Thompson caught on the square leg boundary off his last delivery.
Shadab Khan, who had supported Thompson well, went next ball, caught after a heart-stopping juggle by Tom Hartley on the square leg boundary. Lamb then yorked Matt
Waite, making a Red Rose, if not an individual , hat trick.
Matt Revis struck the final delivery for four to take Yorkshire to 204-7. Lancashire could possibly have given spinners Hartley and Parkinson more than their combined five overs which went for 35 runs.
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