One-Day Cup Report: Warwickshire v Yorkshire Vikings
A wonderful match came down to the final ball with former Bears spinner Josh Poysden needing to find two runs to secure the Vikings victory.
He swished and missed – but the batsmen scrambled a bye to bring the scores level.
It was a pulsating match in which Warwickshire amassed 270 for eight, a solid total but one which appeared no more than par on a good batting pitch. Tim Ambrose provided their backbone with a well-worked 77 (108 balls, five fours) but without Adam Hose (hand-injury sustained in the nets the day before the game) and Ian Bell (foot injury), in the top order, too many others in the top order got in then got out.
It looked a very good total after Henry Brookes and Chris Woakes reduced Yorkshire to 33 for four. A superb sixth-wicket partnership of 138 in 24 overs between Tim Bresnan (89, 88 balls, eight fours, two sixes) and Jonny Tattersall (79, 81 balls, seven fours) then kept their side alive before a game which fluctuated fascinatingly all day – a tribute to the format – finished all square. Fifty-over cricket was the winner.
Warwickshire, put in, lost Ed Pollock to the 11th ball when Bresnan rattled his off-stump. Bresnan then removed the other opener Dom Sibley (26, 25 balls), caught by wicketkeeper Tattersall.
A fine spell of 7-0-17-0 from captain Steve Patterson kept a brake on the scoring before Adil Rashid removed Sam Hain (40, 55 balls, three fours), stumped by Tattersall.
While Ambrose settled, Will Rhodes moved fluently to 43 (49 balls, six fours, one six) against his former county before tickling a leg-side offering from Mathew Pillans to the wicketkeeper.
Nineteen-year-old Liam Banks, on his List A debut, made a punchy 31 (28 balls) but when he and Woakes hoisted Poysden to long off in quick succession, the innings lost momentum when it needed to be gathering it. Ambrose’s 24th List A half-century was ended by a catch at deep mid-wicket and Yorkshire, who had piled up 379 in their North Group opener two days earlier, could reflect on a decent job done.
They were less happy when they hit 33 for four in the 11th over. Brookes hit the stumps of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Adam Lyth and Woakes had Harry Brook caught in the gully and the in-form Gary Ballance taken at cover.
David Willey (40, 57 balls, seven fours) and Tattersall added 56 in 11 overs before Willey spliced a pull at young seamer George Panayi to mid on.
That was 89 for five but Tattersall and Bresnan both advanced to 56-ball half-centuries to take their side into the last ten overs with 80 required. The sixth-wicket pair brought the chase down to 44 needed from five when both fell in three balls, Tattersall bowled by Patel and Bresnan caught by Patel at cover off Woakes.
It came down to ten needed from the last over, delivered by Brookes and when Patterson swiped the second ball for four, suddenly the Vikings were favourites again. With three needed from three balls, Pillans holed out to mid-off, but the batsmen crossed, leaving Patterson on strike. A single brought Poysden down to face his first ball against his former club – and a bye meant a fine match concluded in a tie.
