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September 11, 2024
On the first day of their Vitality County Championship match, Yorkshire dominated with an impressive display of bowling and batting. Leicestershire, opting for a pitch as green as their outfield, struggled significantly. After Yorkshire won the toss, Leicestershire found themselves in dire straits, collapsing to 15 for 7 within the first hour. They did recover slightly, thanks to Ben Cox’s unbeaten 51, but were ultimately bowled out for just 98. Yorkshire’s pace bowlers led the attack, with Ben Coad claiming 5 for 15 and Matthew Fisher, returning from injury, taking 3 for 38.
In response, Yorkshire’s skipper Jonny Tattersall anchored the innings with a solid, unbeaten 90, helping his team reach 263 for 8 by the end of the day. This gave Yorkshire a substantial lead of 165 runs, with 18 wickets falling on a dramatic first day.
Yorkshire faced early trouble in their innings, slipping to 30 for 3 at the start. However, as batting conditions improved, Jonny Tattersall’s steady innings, supported by James Wharton (41), Dom Bess (33), and Matthew Fisher (28 not out), allowed them to gain control. Despite only earning one batting bonus point in 71 overs, Yorkshire managed to make a strong comeback. Tom Scriven was the standout bowler for Leicestershire, taking 4 for 69.
Yorkshire started the day just behind second-placed Middlesex in the Division Two table, with three matches left in the season. Leicestershire, who are also chasing promotion, were unprepared for their collapse to under 100 runs before lunch. The absence of top scorer Peter Handscomb, who has returned to Australia for domestic cricket, did not fully explain their struggle. At one point, it seemed Leicestershire might fall short of their lowest-ever total, 25, set by Kent in 1912.
Leicestershire’s innings started disastrously as Rishi Patel edged Ben Coad to third slip for a duck. The next three wickets fell quickly, leaving them at just 3 runs. Lewis Hill was caught by second slip off Matthew Fisher’s bowling, Ian Holland was bowled leg stump by Coad, and Rehan Ahmed was also caught at second slip.
At 11 runs, two more wickets fell in quick succession. Louis Kimber was given out leg before wicket to Coad, making him the fourth duck in the top six, and Ajinkya Rahane was trapped leg before by Fisher. Liam Trevaskis followed soon after, also out leg before, leaving Leicestershire reeling at 15 for 7.
Rishi Patel and Tom Scriven then provided some resistance. Scriven hit three boundaries to ensure Leicestershire would avoid their lowest-ever total, while Cox added a top-edge six off Coad. The pair scored 37 runs in 26 balls before Scriven was caught behind, giving Coad his fifth wicket.
Cox, who reached 51 from 31 balls with his second six off Fisher, was eventually out, but not before adding valuable runs. Jordan Thompson dismissed Scott Currie leg before, and the last wicket partnership added 39 runs before Chris Wright was bowled by George Hill.
Leicestershire missed an early chance to take a wicket when Chris Wright dropped a return catch off the first ball of Yorkshire’s innings after lunch. Despite this, Yorkshire quickly found themselves at 30 for 3 by the 18th over. Finlay Bean was caught at gully, Adam Lyth was caught behind off a faint edge, and Will Luxton was dismissed by a brilliant one-handed catch by Scott Currie at third slip.
Jonny Bairstow, known for his aggressive batting, scored four boundaries but was out caught at first slip, leaving Yorkshire at 56 for 4. It could have been 63 for 5, but Patel dropped James Wharton on 14 off Tom Scriven. This missed opportunity proved costly, as Wharton went on to hit eight boundaries before being caught at long-on off a long-hop delivery from Rehan Ahmed.
At 109 for 5, Jonny Tattersall steadied the innings with a composed performance. Though George Hill was bowled by Wright for 12, Dom Bess contributed with some stylish shots as he and Tattersall added 42 runs. Scriven later dismissed Bess with a delivery that breached his defenses and also had Jordan Thompson caught off a top-edged pull. Tattersall and Matthew Fisher then added 53 runs before the end of the day.
New Zealand’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be strengthened by the return of fast bowler Rosemary Mair, who is coming back from a back injury she sustained during the home series against England in March. Captain Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates are set to compete in their ninth T20 World Cup, making them participants in every edition of the tournament so far.
Mair, with 18 wickets from 24 T20Is, will join a pace attack that includes experienced bowlers Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, and Molly Penfold, while Bates and Brooke Halliday are also available as fast-bowling allrounders. The spin department features Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Fran Jonas, and Eden Carson.
The squad is mostly experienced, with the only newcomer being wicketkeeper-batter Izzy Gaze, who will be making her debut in a T20 World Cup.
“I’m really pleased with this squad; I think these are our best 15 players to adapt to what will likely be varied conditions,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Soph [Devine] and Suze [Bates] have a huge amount of tournament experience from World Cups to franchise leagues, so we’ll certainly be leaning on that knowledge in what’s going to be a pretty intense competition.
“Rosemary’s had an unfortunate run with injury over the past few months, and she’s worked hard to be fit for this tournament. She’s proved herself as one of our key pace options and we’re excited she’s returning.”
Before the Women’s T20 World Cup, New Zealand will tour Australia for three T20Is with the same squad. The matches are scheduled for September 19, 22, and 24 in Mackay and Brisbane. Following this, New Zealand will play warm-up games against South Africa on September 29 and England on October 1.
The World Cup begins on October 4, with New Zealand’s first match against India. Besides India, their group also includes Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. This tournament will be Sophie Devine’s final assignment as New Zealand’s T20I captain.
Sophie Devine (captain)
Suzie Bates
Eden Carson
Izzy Gaze
Maddy Green
Brooke Halliday
Fran Jonas
Jess Kerr
Melie Kerr
Rosemary Mair
Molly Penfold
Georgia Plimmer
Hannah Rowe
Lea Tahuhu
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for The Wicket Insider, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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