CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Yorkshire plans go up spout as Haynes strikes

Worcs (228-7) bt Yorks (143) by 85 runs

Three-quarters of the 10,000 gate enjoyed free tickets courtesy of Yorkshire Electricity, who sent out vouchers with the quarterly bills, but they failed to inspire a dismal home side and Worcestershire went six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.

They waved their orange teapots, issued by the main sponsors, and squealed with delight as Craig White and Greg Blewett struck a flurry of early boundaries. Quite what the 30 gnarled veterans of an earlier age, attending a former players' lunch, made of it is open to conjecture.

But the excitement was short-lived, as White was bowled playing an airy shot and David Byas had his leg stump flattened. The biggest blow came when Blewett, in his last game after the worst season by any of Yorkshire's five overseas players, fell to a catch by Stuart Lampitt at short midwicket, who clutched the ball to his knee as it bounced out of his hands.

Yorkshire were up with the rate at the halfway stage only to lose Anthony McGrath, the competition's leading run-maker, stumped, Richard Harden caught behind three balls later and Gary Fellows leg before, giving Gavin Haynes three for 10 in 11 balls and effectively finishing the game as a contest.

The last hope went when Michael Vaughan, after some handsome strokes, was stumped in Lampitt's first over and despite the best stand of the innings by Richard Blakey and Gavin Hamilton, batting with a runner, Yorkshire were heading for a fourth straight defeat in the league and their fifth loss in the past six one-day games.

Worcestershire's total was built around a splendid partnership of 77 in 14 overs for the fourth wicket by Tom Moody, who left the field with back spasms but will be fit to join the Australian one-day party for Sri Lanka, and David Leatherdale.

Yorkshire's attack was thrown out of kilter when Hamilton pulled a hamstring delivering his 15th ball, but the bat never really dominated on a pitch where there was little lateral movement.

Phil Weston drove Hamilton over long off for six before edging, Elliott Wilson fell to an off-stump yorker and Vikram Solanki, having struck consecutive boundaries off Ryan Sidebottom and thumped Vaughan straight for six, gave a dolly of a return catch.