A task too tough for the Tykes
ALEX Lees’ brilliant career-best 90 helped secure back-to-back Vitality Blast wins for Durham and extended Yorkshire’s winless start to the season with a 28-run victory at Headingley.
Captain Lees, pushing for a return to England’s Test side, blended timing with power against his former club to lead Durham to a commanding total of 217 for three after being asked to bat.
Yorkshire started well in their pursuit of that target but lost wickets at regular intervals to slip to a third Blast defeat as their wait for a first win in all competitions since last August goes on.
Matthew Fisher, who failed to defend 19 off the final over in Yorkshire’s defeat to Worcestershire on Friday, began in much better fashion with the new ball.
Fisher found early movement and, after starting with a wide, had Graham Clark – who scored an unbeaten century last time out – caught behind for a duck.
Lees and Michael Jones set about rebuilding patiently, moving the score to 15 for one after three overs before accelerating.
Lees took 16 from the fourth over before three sixes in the space of six balls helped carry Durham to a solid powerplay score of 57 for one.
Jones launched Dom Bess for another six down the ground but the spinner hit back to make the crucial breakthrough.
Jones went aerial again but miscued only as far as Adam Lyth, who took a simple catch to remove the right-hander for 43 and end the partnership at 91 in the 10th over.
Lees was undeterred and launched Bess for consecutive sixes to bring up an effortless half-century from 29 balls.
His new partner Ollie Robinson also hit two sixes to help put Durham in a strong position at 155 for two with five overs remaining.
Yorkshire were unable to stem the flow of runs and the 17th over from Jordan Thompson went for 15, featuring a superb ramped six from
Robinson. The former Kent batter reached his fifty from just 25 balls but Lees perished with eight balls left in the innings, brilliantly caught on the boundary by Jafer Chohan off Ben Mike.
Lees had surpassed his previous career-best T20 score of 77, hitting six fours and four sixes in a superb innings.
Robinson smashed Thompson for a huge six in the final over to finish with his own career-best 64 from 30 balls and kick Durham on to 217 for three – with the visitors taking 62 from the final five overs.
Adam Lyth got Yorkshire’s chase off to a flyer. The left-hander smashed three fours and two sixes in seven balls before skying Brandon Glover to Robinson for 24.
Pakistan batter Shan Masood fell for six in the next over, clipping Bas de Leede straight to mid-wicket, but Yorkshire’s attacking intent remained as Dawid Malan picked up the baton to reach 49 for two after just four overs.
At 63 for two at the end of the powerplay, Yorkshire looked well set but Durham spinner Nathan Sowter claimed the key wicket of Malan in the next over.
The England batter tried to clear the boundary over cover but was well held by Clark to fall for 26. Yorkshire were three runs ahead of where Durham were at the halfway mark, before Matthew Revis was run out for 14 in the 11th over as the visitors’ spinners began to take control.
Jordan Thompson injected some impetus with a couple of sixes, with Jonny Tattersall also clearing the ropes to leave Yorkshire needing 78 from the last five overs. But it was a tough task that proved beyond the Vikings.
Tattersall was dismissed for 39 from 33 balls, well caught by Ashton Turner off Ben Raine, who also ended Thompson’s impressive cameo on 33.
David Wiese showcased his power with two sixes in the final over before he became Raine’s third scalp, as Durham backed up their thrashing of Northamptonshire with another commanding win.
After the match, captain Lees was happy with a good start, but said the team needs to keep up the good work.
“A good performance in the end,” he said. “We had three good contributions with the bat with myself, Ollie (Robinson) and Jonesy (Michael Jones).
“We bowled top-drawer there, on a good batting wicket to restrict them to what we did, we’re really
We’ve made mistakes and ones which kept them ahead of the
game.
Yorkshire captain
Shan Masood
pleased. I am happy to contribute to a win. We just need to keep making sure that somebody stands up when we need it.
“We are just heading in a direction where we are not too bothered about personal accolades. As long as we get the win and keep the momentum moving forward, that’s the most important thing.
“We have started the competition really nicely. We just need to keep it going.”
Yorkshire captain Shan Masood admitted his side had made mistakes.
“After Worcester, we spoke about how the performance was really
good and the process was really good,” he said.
“It felt very freakish there. But here, we’ve made mistakes and ones which kept them ahead of the game. That was in all facets of the game. It was bowling, fielding and batting.
“There were certain bits of execution we got wrong, certain bits of game sense. Those things can be costly.
“We take an early wicket of a guy who has just scored a hundred (Graham Clark) and they’re 15 after three. But they got out of the powerplay with almost 60 runs and one wicket down. That’s something we have to work on.”