Twenty20 Cup defeat at Old Trafford

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Yorkshire Carnegie, fresh from an opening day home win against Leicestershire Foxes, were humbled by old foes Lancashire Lightning in the Twenty20 Cup North Division at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

Yorkshire Carnegie, fresh from an opening day home win against Leicestershire Foxes, were humbled by old foes Lancashire Lightning in the Twenty20 Cup North Division at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

Yorkshire’s batting was again a problem, as they slumped to 66-6 before posting just 105-8 from their 20 overs after captain Anthony McGrath won the toss and elected to bat first. Michael Vaughan top scored with 36, while Rich Pyrah hit 26 off 29 balls. Wicketkeeper Simon Guy (11) was the only other man to reach double figures.

The Carnegie bowlers did manage to fight back to some degree, reducing the hosts to 41-3 in the sixth over of their pursuit of 106, but South African left-hander Ashwell Prince hit 44 off 36 balls to seal a six-wicket win with 27 balls to spare.

Yorkshire got off to the worst possible start when Andrew Gale pulled the first ball of the match, a waste high full toss from occasional leg-spinner Francois du Plessis, to a diving Steven Croft at deep backward square-leg.

Vaughan and Anthony McGrath set about the recovery mission with the former hitting Sajid Mahmood for two consecutive boundaries in the fourth over in a second wicket partnership of 33. After McGrath was bowled by Gary Keedy, Vaughan’s 31-ball stay at the crease, including three fours and one six, was ended by a stunning one-handed catch by all-rounder Croft. The Lancashire man caught the ball in his right hand and above his head whilst in mid air to leave the Tykes 53-3.

Adam Lyth, Jacques Rudolph and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan followed in quick succession to Glen Chapple, Keedy and Parry to leave the score at 66-6 in the 14th. Rain forced the players off the field with the score at 77-6 early in the 16th.

Parry and Chapple (2-20 from four) picked up further wickets when play resumed, and spin did for six of the eight wickets. Parry finished with 3-20 from four and Keedy 2-23 from four.

Lancashire made a solid start to their chase, with Croft, fresh from three catches, hitting 21 off nine balls. But even though they had taken 47 runs off the first six overs they had lost three wickets, two of them to pace bowler Deon Kruis and the other to left-arm spinner David Wainwright.

That was where Prince and Tom Smith came in with a fourth wicket stand of 60. Smith finished 22 not out. Prince had departed to a superb catch from McGrath, caught left handed at short mid-wicket, in the 15th over. It was nothing more than consolation though.

Yorkshire Carnegie’s next North Division fixture is the re-match with the Lightning at Headingley Carnegie on Friday.