Jonathan Bairstow (61) was the driving force as Yorkshire posted a respectable 201-6 but Essex chased down to win by 4 wickets with five balls to spare.

Jonathan Bairstow (61) was the driving force as Yorkshire posted a respectable 201-6 but Essex chased down to win by 4 wickets with five balls to spare. The young keeper hit straight and hard off the 68 balls he faced as runs were tough to come by. He stroked 3 fours and 3 sixes, one of which cleared the longest boundary and endangered passing students at this picteuresque university ground. 

CLICK HERE for after match reaction from Jonathan Bairstow and David Wainwright 

The defeat means that Yorkshire now travel to Foursquare on the opposite side of the island to play University of West Indies. Essex play Lancashire in the final at the 3 Ws after the Red Rose outfit beat Derbyshire in the other Sem-Final. Derbyshire will play Barbados.  

Essex, fielding a near full strength line-up were always favourites in this match, but there are promising signs that the youngsters of Yorkshire are learning there lessons fast and maturing as a unit. A feature of Andrew Gale's side on this trip has been their willingness to fight for each other and learn from the lessons they have been given. That attribute has been bred during their rise together through the county's age-group sides and is something very few counties can replicate.

The Essex batsmen never found it easy, but were always up with the required run-rate and although the Yorkshire attack kept discipline and took wickets at regular intervals they couldn't ever gain a feeling of supremacy. Billy Godleman (50), Mark Pettini (34), Grant Flower (33), Ryan ten Doeschate (26) and Tom Westley (24no) were the main run scorers.

It was a decent bowling display from James Lee, Ben Sanderson (1-29), Richard Pyrah (1-35) and the spin of Joe Sayers (1-20) and David Wainwright (1-37). Sayers may yet develop into a decent one-day option for his skipper. Jack Hargreaves, making his debut for the county, didn't look overawed or out of his depth as he bowled some tidy overs and maintained a probing line and length. 

Earlier Yorkshire had lost the toss and been asked to bat after overnight rain. Andrew Gale (18) fell in the 5th over of the day after opening with Joe Root. He took a painful blow on his hand from a Maurice Chambers delivery, which thankfully left no lasting damage, in the previous over before having his stumps shattered by Wright a few balls later for 18. Root fell in identical fashion after being dropped by Walker at slip before he'd scored and Joe Sayers was stumped by Wheater after making 11 runs after giving Phillips the charge.

Gary Ballance, with 36 from 50 balls including a host of boundaries, then joined up with Bairstow who looked comfident from the word go. Lee Hodgson added a handy 26 and Richard Pyrah 10, but it was Bairstow who powered the score upwards, only falling when a crashing drive to long-on, which would have just cleared the boundary ropes, was brilliantly caught by a diving Grant Flower.

David Wainwright, in his first match after being out with an injured knee looked like he'd never been away, making 20 from 14 balls at the death and Jack Hargreaves will remember his 1 not out at the death fondly on debut. 

For Essex it was Timothy Phillips (2-23), Christopher Wright (2-41), Max Osborne (1-29) and Mervin Westfield (1-37) who were the wicket takers. 

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: James Buttler

YORKSHIRE SIDE

Joe ROOT, Andrew GALE (capt), Gary BALLANCE, Joe SAYERS, Jonathan BAIRSTOW (wk), Richard PYRAH, Lee HODGSON, David WAINWRIGHT, Jack HARGREAVES, James LEE, Ben SANDERSON