A wonderful 132 not out by Yorkshire captain Jacques Rudolph saw Yorkshire post their second highest 40-over score of 302-4 to beat top of the table Sussex by 35 runs in front of a 6,500 crowd at North Marine Road, Scarborough.

MATCH INFORMATION

MATCH REPORT

A wonderful 132 not out by Yorkshire captain Jacques Rudolph saw Yorkshire post their second highest ever 40-over score of 302-4 to beat top of the table Sussex by 35 runs in front of a 6,500 crowd at North Marine Road, Scarborough.

Sussex chasing 303 to win got off to a fine start when Ed Joyce, who had been threatening to score big throughout the Championship fixture and would have been disappointed not to turn 45 and 42 into something more noreworthy, hit 3 fours from Oliver Hannon-Dalby's opening over. But Rashid replaced the paceman and despite being struck for two boundaries captured the left-handers wicket when Joyce then drove to OHD and was caught for 21 from 13 balls.

Chris Nash then hit Steve Patterson to Bairstow on the mid-wicket boundary and was gone for 3 and Sussex were 36-2 in the 6th over. Two overs later Murray Goodwin found Rashid at cover and was out for 9 to give Patterson his second scalp. Lou Vincent was striking the ball well and he was joined by Michael Yardy, fresh from two centuries in the Championship fixture, and Sussex were 73-3 after 10 overs.

Vincent had hit 35 from 24 balls, but he cracked Hannon-Dalby to Ballance at deep mid-wicket. Ballance did well and the New Zealander was on his way. Yardy hit Ashraf for six after being joined by Joe Gatting and repeated the stroke off David Wainwright in the 17th over. Gatting got in on the act by hitting Wainwright for consecutive fours, but was then caught and bowled for 19 to make the score 138-5 in the 19th over.

Yardy had reached his fifty from 39 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes, but moments later he chopped Rashid onto his stumps for 53 and Sussex needed 143 runs from 18.1 overs. Parnell hit Rashid for 6 and 4 to keep the Sharks up with the rate and he wasn't going to stop there.

6 fours and 1 six from Parnell kept Sussex in the hunt, but he was well caught behind by Brophy from a shortish ball from Rashid that skidded on for 47.  Naved Arif hit Hannon-Dalby to Ballance at deep square for 8 and Chris Liddle was bowled by Moin Ashraf for 6 and it appeared the Sharks hopes had gone at 259-9 in the 35th over.

Ben Brown scored a punchy century in the Championship a few days earlier and he added a fine fifty in 41 balls to give Sussex hope, but he was the last man to go for 60 when he was run out by Anthony McGrath at mid-wicket to leave Sussex 35 runs short.

Sussex had won the toss and elected to field first and after the epic conclusion to the Championship match the previous day between the same sides it seemed impossible that this CB40 encounter could 'follow that'. But Adam Lyth and Jacques Rudolph had other ideas as they set about the Sussex attack with some venom.

Lyth struck 6 fours and a six in his fifty that came from only 44 balls and Rudolph followed suit with his owen half century in 51 balls with 4 fours and a six. The pair stole every chance for runs as they tore past their hundred partnership and at the halfway stage in the innings the Tykes were sitting pretty at 132-0.

Lyth was bowled by Panesar for 73, but Rudolph continued the assualt with Jonny Bairstow who struck two sixes as his introduction did nothing to slow proceedings. Rudolph reached three figures for the seventh time at Scarborough and the second time in two days in 90 balls including 8 fours and 2 sixes and with 8 overs to play Yorkshire were 226-1 as Bairstow launched his third six to wide long-on.

Bairstow reached his fifty in 42 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes and with 5 overs remaining of the Yorkshire innings they were 251-1. Could they reach 300? With Rudolph on 118 not out could he better his one-day best of 134 not out?

But Bairstow was caught by Lou Vincent at long-off from a Wayne Parnell delivery for 52 in 45 balls and Yorkshire were 255-2. A Rudolph six off Michael Yardy took him to 129 to secure him a Yorkshire one-day best. With two overs left Yorkshire were 280-2 and knowing the strength of Sussex's one-day batting it was crucial to make the most of the last 12 balls, but Gerard Brophy was bowled by Chris Liddle for 7.

Gary Ballance struck his first three legitimate balls to the boundary as Liddle's last over took a wicket but conceded 17 runs. Ballance was bowled by Parnell in the final over and with two balls to play Rudolph was off strike needing 3 to beat his highest ever List A score.

But McGrath smashed his first ball for six (Rudolph was not complaining) and could not score off the last to leave Yorkshire on 302-4 and Rudolph on a magnificent 132 not out.

Yorkshire's total was their 2nd highest in 40-over one-day cricket, just 1 run short of the 303-4 scored against Leicestershire at Headingley in 2008. Could Sussex match that? Not quite.

Scarbrough's 125th Festival signed off in style and Yorkshire are gaining momentum and confidence that could see them end the season in style. It's such a shame the CB40 form that is evident now could not have been found earlier in the summer, because the Yorkshire that beat Sussex today can beat anyone.

JAMES BUTTLER

YORKSHIRE TEAM

JA Rudolph*, A Lyth, JM Bairstow, A McGrath, GS Ballance, GL Brophy†, AU Rashid, DJ Wainwright, SA Patterson, MA Ashraf, OJ Hannon-Dalby