Yorkshire Carnegie lost their third Friends Provident Trophy match in a row today, going down by three wickets to Group C leaders Gloucestershire Gladiators at Bristol’s County Ground.

Yorkshire Carnegie lost their third Friends Provident Trophy match in a row today, going down by three wickets to Group C leaders Gloucestershire Gladiators at Bristol’s County Ground.

67 apiece for Anthony McGrath and Rich Pyrah gave the Tykes unexpected hope of victory against the Gladiators, who have now won all five of their fifty over matches this season. And David Wainwright’s stunning seven-ball spell, which yielded three wickets without conceding a run, reduced the Gladiators to 107-6 in their pursuit of 218. The left-arm spinner finished with 3-33 from eight overs.

But a seventh wicket partnership of 106 in 18 overs between wicketkeeper Stephen Adshead, 56 off 57 balls, and James Franklin (51 not out) was the main reason why the hosts secured the win with four balls to spare.  

The White Rose county, having been asked to bat first by Alex Gidman, stumbled to 49-5 in just the 16th over of the innings thanks to superb opening bursts from Jon Lewis and James Franklin.

McGrath and Pyrah then shared a sixth wicket partnership of 115 in 27 overs to take their side to 164-5 before the captain holed out to mid-off off the bowling of Zimbabwean Anthony Ireland.

Deon Kruis, elevated to No. 8, hit a lusty, but brief, eleven, while Simon Guy and Wainwright added late impetus with 22 and 15 not out respectively. Yorkshire finished on 217-9, while Lewis finished with 4-43 from nine overs and Franklin 3-38 from ten overs.

Yorkshire lost Jacques Rudolph, Rana, in the same over he hit three boundaries, Andrew Gale, Joe Sayers and Adil Rashid in a damaging early spell. Lewis claimed three of the five, while New Zealand all-rounder Franklin picked up the other two.

McGrath and Pyrah set about their alliance with no other thoughts, initially at least, other than to just bat out time. As things developed Pyrah began to open his shoulders, but it was McGrath who perished first when he tried to punish Ireland. Will Porterfield completed the catch to end the Yorkshireman’s 98-ball stay at the crease.

Pyrah, confirming his maiden one-day fifty, was bowled trying to sweep Bradford-born Vikram Banerjee. He had faced 100 balls.

Kruis crunched Ireland over mid-wicket off just his second ball, while Guy later smeared Lewis over cover for a maximum in the 49th over.

Pakistani Rana had Kadeer Ali caught by Rudolph at first slip in the sixth over before Kruis bowled Hamish Marshall, who chopped on, in the next to leave the hosts struggling at 23-2 on a true track. Irishman Porterfield (34) and Craig Spearman (29) looked as if they were getting their side back on track when they put on 55 for the third wicket, but Kruis bowled the New Zealander off his pads in the 20th over.

Wainwright snaffled a caught and bowled chance to remove Chris Taylor with his first ball before Gidman was neatly caught down the leg-side by Guy three balls later. Porterfield provided Wainwright with his third wicket off the first ball of 30th over, with Guy completing a juggling effort.  

Adshead and Kiwi international Franklin then set about their partnership in combative mood, ended only in the 48th over when Kruis picked up his third wicket as Adshead carved to Rana on the third-man boundary. Kruis finished with figures of 3-45 off ten overs.

Yorkshire Carnegie play Durham Dynamos at Headingley Carnegie on Wednesday (a 10.45am start).

MATCH PREVIEW

Two defeats after two wins have left Yorkshire Carnegie with a crunch fixture against the groups high flyers Gloucestershire Gladiators at Bristol on Monday. With Michael Vaughan and Andrew Gale missing the end of the Warwickshire Championship match with slight injuries and illness a larger than usual squad travels to the south west.

Tim Bresnan however, will not join the squad as the ECB have decreed he is unavailable for his county after playing in the 1st npower Test against the West Indies.

50 overs a side and it starts at 10.45am. 

YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE SQUAD

Jacques Rudolph (24), Andrew Gale (26), Michael Vaughan (7), Anthony McGrath (10, capt), Gerard Brophy (20), Simon Guy (23), Rana Naved (25), Adil Rashid (3), Richard Pyrah (27), Ajmal Shahzad (4), Steve Patterson (17), Deon Kruis (5), David Wainwright (29), Adam Lyth (9) and Joe Sayers (22) 

GLOUCESTERSHIRE GLADIATORS SQUAD

To be confirmed...  

MATCH INFO

Don't get caught out by the varying start times in the FPT this summer. The counties were given the choice on whether to start their home fixtures at 10.45am or 12 noon. Brsitol matches start at 12 noon!

The regional groups have gone for this years FPT - Yorkshire Carnegie face Durham Dynamos, Sussex Sharks, Gloucestershire Gladiators and Surrey Brown Caps in 2009.

The top two in each group qualify for the Quarter-Finals, then there are Semi-Finals and then a Lord's Final.