Ballance 44 as Academy reach Cup semi-finals
Opener Gary Ballance, right, top-scored with 44 - and chipped in with the last wicket - as Yorkshire Academy sailed through their Round 2 ECB Oxbridge Yorkshire County Premier League Clup clash with Doncaster Town.
Yet another winning toss of the coin at Weetwood and a fine opening partnership by Ballance and Joe Root, 40, but Root was caught by Doncaster skipper Attenborough at 89, and Ballance went the same way two runs later.
Jonny Bairstow took three excellent fours from spinner Ashley Knowles - but in trying to hit him over mid-on he was caught. Not the wisest of shots. Debutant Alex Lees followed soon afterwards at 131-5, and the initiative was lost.
Jack Hargreaves stayed with the aggressive Chavez Younes, and the running between the wickets was excellent as they added 50 before Younes was lbw to opening-bowler Michael Chadwick. Fortunately, the Academy used all but one of their allocated 50 overs, and amassed a useful 220.
Academy could be pleased with this total, as the wicket was taking spin, and was not easy for batsmen.
Paul Silvester was well caught by Bairstow off Hargreaves at 26, and Andrew Parkin-Coates - who 24 hours earlier had scored a ton - went first ball. Townsend, 1, followed, and it was 40-3. Attenborough, Doncaster's leading run-scorer and captain, was caught and bowled when left-hander Gurman Randhawa joined the attack.
Randhawa gave little away, and sealed up one end while Charlie Roebuck had immediate success: Roebuck had 2-5 in two overs, claiming James Stuart and Damien McGough, and when Ballance nipped in with the last wicket Doncaster were 86 short.
It was a game in which the Academy outplayed their opponents, and will look forward to the result of the Hull v. Sheffield Collegiate match.
Yorkshire Academy Innings (maximum 50 overs): J Root c Attenborough b J Stuart 40, G Ballance c Attenborough b J Stuart 44, J Bairstow c McGough b A Knowles 16, C Roebuck b L Townsend 10, A Lees b A Knowles 9, J Hargreaves lbw b M Chadwick 33, C Younes lbw b M Chadwick 24, G Randhawa run out (A Parkin-Coates) 20, D Girling c A Knowles b A Gosney 0, H Chadwick (wicket-keeper) run out (P Silvester) 7, JA Blain (captain) not out 7. Extras (b 3, lb 5, w 1, nb 1) 10
Total (49 overs) 220
FoW: 1-89, 2-91, 3-117, 4-117, 5-131, 6-181, 7-194, 8-195, 9-209, 10-220
Bowling: M Chadwick 9-0-39-2, G Attenborough 3-0-13-0, A Parkin-Coates 7-0-31-0, J Stuart 6-0-32-2, A Knowles 10-1-34-2, L Townsend 5-0-22-1, A Gosney 9-0-41-1
Doncaster Town Innings (maximum 50 overs): P Silvester c J Bairstow b J Hargreaves 4, G Attenborough (captain) c and b G Randhawa 53, A Parkin-Coates lbw b J Blain 0, L Townsend b J Blain 1, TJ Rodrigo (wicket-keeper) run out (sub) 12, J Stuart b C Roebuck 20, A Gosney b C Younes 5, D McGough c G Ballance b C Roebuck 14, M Chadwick lbw b C Roebuck 0, G Cox not out 5, A Knowles b G Ballance 8. Extras (lb 1, w 10, nb 1) 12
Total (39.4 overs) 134
FoW: 1-26, 2-27, 3-40, 4-71, 5-82, 6-90, 7-110, 8-110, 9-125, 10-134
Bowling: J Hargreaves 6-0-25-1, J Blain 7-1-16-2, D Girling 5-0-27-0, G Randhawa 10-1-25-1, C Younes 5-2-11-1, C Roebuck 4-1-13-3, G Ballance 2.4-0-16-1
Result: Yorkshire Academy won by 86 runs
Umpires: Mr Ian Dixon (Otley) and Mr J Holliday (Barnsley). Scorers: Mr HD Galley and Mr S Ward
Words and Statistics: HAROLD GALLEY
ECB OXBRIDGE YORKSHIRE COUNTY PREMIER LEAGUE CUP
Round 2
York 326-8 (A Hulme 82, N Kay 76 not out, N Smith 3-76); Rotherham Town 255 (N Smith 70, B Sanderson 40)
Yorkshire Academy 220 (G Ballance 44, J Root 40, J Hargreaves 33); Doncaster Town 134 (G Attenborough 53, C Roebuck 3-13)
The match outstanding game, Hull v. Sheffield Collegiate, will take place next Sunday at Abbeydale Park. The Semi-Final ties, to take place on Sunday, July 13, are:
Scarborough v. York
Yorkshire Academy v. Hull or Sheffield Collegiate