August 2, 2024

Price is Right for Gloucestershire as Masood Can’t Stop Yorkshire defeat

Captain’s 76 Not Enough as Gloucestershire Defend 251 at York

In an exciting match at York, Gloucestershire defended a target of 252 to secure a 36-run victory over Yorkshire. Gloucestershire set the target with a total of 251 for 9, thanks to Ollie Price’s solid 98 off 118 balls and a valuable 54 from opener Miles Hammond. Despite a late collapse, where they lost seven wickets and scored only 85 runs in the last 15 overs, Gloucestershire managed to set a challenging target.

Yorkshire, chasing the target, saw a strong start with Shan Masood scoring 76 and James Wharton adding 56. However, they faltered dramatically, losing their way from a promising 137 for 2 to being all out for 215 in 48 overs. Matt Taylor played a crucial role in Gloucestershire’s defense, taking 3 for 35 off 10 overs, while Yorkshire’s bowlers struggled despite some good spells from Ben Coad, who took 2 for 27 from 10 overs.

Gloucestershire chose to bat first on a hybrid pitch, and after an early wicket, Price and Hammond steadied the innings with an 88-run partnership. Price’s innings featured effective sweeps and reverse sweeps against spin. Hammond was eventually out for 54, bowled by Dan Moriarty. Both teams now have two wins and two losses in Group B.

Price’s Late Flourish Not Enough as Yorkshire Collapse

Ollie Price made a striking impact with two consecutive boundaries off Ben Cliff’s seam in the 34th over and James Bracey hit one of only two sixes in the innings off the same bowler. Despite these efforts, Gloucestershire’s innings faltered, with four wickets falling for just 19 runs. The team dropped from a solid 172 for 2 in the 36th over to 191 for 6 by the 41st over.

Cliff took two key wickets in the 36th over, dismissing Bracey and Ben Charlesworth. Ben Coad and Dan Moriarty then took crucial wickets of Jack Taylor and Graeme van Buuren, respectively. Tom Smith added a useful 27 runs, but Price was dismissed by George Hill, leaving Gloucestershire to just scrape past 250.

In response, Yorkshire’s chase started poorly, with Fin Bean bowled and Will Luxton dismissed by Ajeet Singh Dale, leaving them at 24 for 2 in the seventh over. However, Shan Masood and James Wharton combined for a solid 113-run partnership. Masood, who scored 63 in Yorkshire’s previous match, reached his half-century off 52 balls, and Yorkshire looked set with a score of 117 for 2 in the 23rd over.

But Yorkshire’s chase faltered when Matt Taylor dismissed Masood and George Hill in quick succession. Harry Duke fell to Dom Goodman, leaving Yorkshire at 147 for 5 in the 33rd over. Wharton, who reached fifty off 78 balls, struggled and was out to Tom Smith’s spin, leaving Yorkshire at 163 for 6. Singh Dale then trapped Dom Bess lbw, reducing Yorkshire to 176 for 7.

Gloucestershire seized the chance, dismissing Coad, Matthew Revis, and Moriarty in the final overs. Yorkshire’s innings ended with them well short of the target, giving Gloucestershire a 36-run victory.

Dom Sibley’s 149 Against Old Club not Enough for Winless Surrey

Benjamin and Burgess Lead Warwickshire to Narrow Win

Warwickshire continued their perfect run in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thrilling three-run victory over a depleted Surrey at Rugby School. Chris Benjamin’s aggressive 75 and Michael Burgess’ stylish 60 helped Warwickshire post a challenging total of 311 for 9. Despite missing 15 players due to international commitments, Surrey fought hard with James Taylor and Cameron Steel leading their bowling attack.

Surrey’s chase came up just short, ending at 308 for 9, despite a brilliant 149 from Dom Sibley, who faced his former team. Sibley hit 12 fours and four sixes, but lacked consistent support apart from Ben Geddes’ 62. This loss marked Surrey’s fourth consecutive defeat, while Warwickshire celebrated their fourth straight win.

Surrey chose to bowl first and made early inroads when Ed Barnard was caught by slip off Taylor in the fourth over. Rob Yates (40) and Will Rhodes (44) added 58 runs but were dismissed before making a significant impact. Yates was out pulling a long-hop from Geddes, and Rhodes was bowled by Steel.

Hamza Shaikh (39) hit a big six but was dismissed attempting another big shot. Benjamin and Burgess then boosted the innings with a 117-run partnership in just 14 overs. Benjamin, who had a challenging season, played with confidence, reaching 50 in 38 balls. Burgess scored his eighth List A half-century in 51 balls before being dismissed.

Benjamin and Smith’s Big Hits Lift Warwickshire to Narrow Victory

Chris Benjamin, with his six fours and four sixes, was dismissed when he was caught by mid-off, but a quick cameo from Kai Smith, who scored 26, pushed Warwickshire’s total to over 300.

In Surrey’s chase, openers Dom Sibley and Ryan Patel started strongly before Patel was caught off a straight drive to extra cover. Sibley and Ben Geddes then added 124 runs in 24 overs, putting Surrey in a strong position. However, the fall of Geddes, who edged a ball to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess, led to a dramatic collapse. Surrey lost four wickets in eight overs: Rory Burns was bowled attempting a sweep, Ben Foakes was caught at mid-off, and Steel was dismissed lbw while reverse-sweeping.

Sibley reached his fourth List A century, all of which have been notable, as he had previously scored three for Warwickshire. Josh Blake scored a lively 26 before being caught at deep midwicket. With 39 runs needed from three overs, Sibley hit two consecutive sixes off Oliver Hannon-Dalby but was then caught on the next ball. The last pair, Nathan Barnwell and James Taylor, fought hard to get the remaining 20 runs in the final over but fell just short, concluding a thrilling match.