A cracking 56 from opener Joe Sayers, pictured, with six fours and two sixes proved a classic example of a correct batsman adapting his style to the shortest format – but Yorkshire Seconds are out of their Twenty20 competition.

The statistics say it all - played eight, lost six, no result two. That’s right, won NONE. That will be worrying to some but, by and large, the Yorkshire teams put out in this inaugural competition were mostly younger players in their first Second Eleven season, rather than the more experienced campaigners fielded by their opponents.

The lack of experience told.

From the word go the matches against Derbyshire at Headingley Carnegie went the visitors’ way. Batting first, Yorkshire lost eight wickets in scoring 113 runs. Not enough for the bowlers and fielders to defend, and although Derbyshire also lost eight wickets victory came with three balls to spare.

Batting first in the second match, Yorkshire managed only 98, while losing only five wickets. Derbyshire had three overs and seven wickets in hand when they reached the target.

Next day Nottinghamshire came to Headingley: Yorkshire again batted first, and reached the same score as in the first match the day before, but an over was lost to rain. Nottinghamshire had 20 balls to spare in winning by eight wickets.

A much improved batting performance came in the second match. Rain interrupted Yorkshire’s innings three times...after four overs had been bowled...again after eight more balls...and yet again after nine overs. Six overs were deducted, but Yorkshire totalled 142 for the loss of one wicket - a shade more than 10 an over.

Duckworth-Lewis set Nottinghamshire a target of 147 from their 14 overs, but they had only faced three overs when rain washed out the rest of the day. No result, but there was some consolation for Yorkshire that the visitors were well behind the target. What a pity the rain had not come two overs later when the match would have counted...

Yorkshire now faced two away trips for the remaining group matches. A long trek to the west coast of the Wirrall on a bank holiday morning to play against Lancashire at Neston came first - as did more than 12 hours of continuous rain that washed out the first match.

The second game fared better: the rain relented and the ground dried sufficiently for a 10-over match to be played. This time the opponents batted first, and managed to lose eight wickets for 79 on what was potentially a high-scoring ground, but Lancashire had the last word - Yorkshire collapsing to 51 all out in the 10th over.

Another long trek to Chester-le-Street for the remaining games against Durham came a week later. Yorkshire batted first again and reached 141, thanks in the main to the 56 in 35 balls from Sayers. Durham needed 21 off the last two overs and got them, the winning runs coming off the last ball of the match. Yorkshire so near to victory, yet so far.

Durham bowled their visitors out for 139 in the second match, and knocked off the runs with eight wickets in hand and nine balls to spare - thanks in the main to Mark Stoneman, whose 76 included 11 fours.

That was that. The end of the Twenty20 season for Yorkshire Seconds and a very steep learning curve for them. Next year they will be more experienced, and surely more successful?

We return to proper cricket next week with Trophy and Championship matches against Derbyshire at Marske-by-the-Sea, last visited in 1999, and Stamford Bridge. Let’s hope the sun shines!

Match-by-Match Scores

HEADINGLEY CARNEGIE

Yorkshire 113-8 (JA Leaning 37), Derbyshire 118-8 (J Needham 23, CM Durham 22 not out). Derbyshire won by two wickets.

Yorkshire 98-5 (JA Leaning 25, LJ Hodgson 26), Derbyshire 102-3 (PM Borrington 27, M Lineker 27, RA Whiteley 21 not out, GS Randhawa 2 for 11). Derbyshire won by seven wickets.

HEADINGLEY CARNEGIE

Yorkshire 113-4 (GS Ross 41), Nottinghamshire 117-2 (S Kelsall 22, S L Elstone 73 not out). Nottinghamshire won by eight wickets.

Yorkshire 142-1 (AZ Lees 65 not out, GS Ross 33, JA Leaning 32 not out), Nottinghamshire 18-0. Match abandoned - no result.

NESTON

Match abandoned without a ball bowled - no result.

Lancashire 79-8 (LA Bentley 29, LJ Hodgson 3-10, BW Sanderson 2-12, JC Wainman 2-14), Yorkshire 51 (GT Griffiths 3-8, NT Caunce 3-11, SD Parry 2-10). Lancashire won by 28 runs.

RIVERSIDE

Yorkshire 141-3 (JJ Sayers 56, AZ Lees 45, JA Leaning 25 not out), Durham 142-6 (WR Smith 57 not out, OJ Hannon-Dalby 2-13, Azeem Rafiq 2-22). Durham won by four wickets.

Yorkshire 139 (JJ Sayers 26, GS Randhawa 24 not out, RMR Brathwaite 3-29, WR Smith 2-15), Durham 140-2 (MA Stoneman 76 not out, KJ Coetzer 41). Durham won by eight wickets.

Words and Statistics: MICHAEL SNOOK

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