Darren Gough: Blasted 20 in nine balls at the death.

Wednesday, 18th June 2008

Dazzler scythes his way through the Red Rose

A furious late assault by captain Darren Gough on his old adversary, Dominic Cork, led to Yorkshire Carnegie pulling off a sensational two-wicket victory over Lancashire Lightning in their Twenty20 Roses clash at Headingley Carnegie.

Gough plundered the winning boundary with two balls remaining to bring Yorkshire their third consecutive victory - and put them into the thick of the race for a Quarter-Final place.

In a fascinating game played in poor light and occasional drizzle, Carnegie restricted the Red Rose to 150-6 after putting them in - but from a quickfire start they slumped to 121-8 in 17 overs, and defeat beckoned. The situation changed as 17 flowed from the next over from Cork - who began it with a dot ball before four leg-byes and a single to Adil Rashid.

That put Gough on strike: he lashed the next three balls to the boundary with a firm shot through the on-side, a slash to third man and a firm hit to backward-square-leg off a full toss.

Kyle Hogg conceded only six off the last-but-one over, leaving Yorkshire to make six more to win. Rashid ran a single off the second ball...four byes levelled the scores - and Gough slammed the next one to the boundary to end unbeaten on 20 from nine balls with four fours. His celebrations with Adil, below, were strictly not dancing. 

Eager to keep up with the rate, Yorkshire had set off in determined fashion - and they quickly overcame the early setback of Andrew Gale being bowled by Hogg in the first over.

Gerard Brophy and Michael Vaughan played some spanking shots, each taking a boundary off Cork before the England captain on-drove Hogg for six, and helped himself to two fours.

Brophy dished out more punishment to Cork, but the spree ended at 47 in the sixth over when Smith bowled Vaughan with his first delivery for 21 off 12 balls, including three fours and a six.

Mahmood knocked back Brophy’s stumps for 28 off 20 balls with five fours, but Anthony McGrath once again batted superbly to become Yorkshire’s highest scorer for the fifth consecutive match. 

Another half-century seemed on the cards until Man-of-the-Match McGrath, left, was bowled by Mahmood for 46 off 39 balls, with six boundaries.

Richard Pyrah speared Mahmood to Cork at cover in the same over, and at 121-8 Yorkshire looked to be running out of steam until Gough took charge.

Earlier, disciplined Carnegie bowling had prevented Lightning from breaking loose, and the most effective bowling came from Pyrah, bottom picture, with 3-20 in his four overs.

The only time Yorkshire slipped was near the end when Gareth Cross lashed a no-ball from Tim Bresnan for six, and then cracked the last three balls of the innings from Gough for boundaries.

DAVID WARNER

Tonight's Picture Coverage From Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground: BEN DUFFY