Yorkshire Vikings v Essex
Metro Bank One Day Cup
North Marine Road, Scarborough
Tuesday 06 August, 11am
Just two days after falling agonisingly short against Glamorgan, Essex are back in Metro Bank One Day Cup action on Tuesday with a trip to the seaside to take on Yorkshire Vikings at Scarborough.
The Eagles’ last-wicket pair of Ben Allison and Aaron Beard took a chase of 284 right down to the wire with a 68-run partnership in just 52 balls, but the former’s dismissal confirmed a tough 32-run loss.
That chase had been made almost possible not just by Beard’s unbeaten 42 from 29 balls, but also by captain Tom Westley’s 51, the 30th List A half-century of his career.
However, the Welsh side’s total, which was underpinned by Sam Northeast’s 89, proved to be just too far, despite three wickets apiece for Shane Snater and Jamal Richards helping to bowl them out.
It added up to leave Essex four points off a qualification spot, with the top three progressing to the quarter-finals, and looking for further victories to kick-start a late push for the knockout stages.
Now, Anthony McGrath takes his side north to the Yorkshire coast in search of that second win and the start of a bid to revitalise the campaign.
Squad
Director of Cricket McGrath has named an unchanged 12-player squad for Tuesday’s game.
The Opposition
For all Yorkshire’s historical success in the County Championship, the White Rose have not been able to replicate that in white-ball cricket, with just five List A titles to their name.
The most recent of those was in 2002, when Darren Lehmann led them to a third C&G Trophy triumph to add to previous successes in that competition, in its various guises, in 1965 and 1969.
Yorkshire also won the Sunday League in 1983 and the B&H Cup in 1987, but it has been more than two decades since they lifted a white-ball trophy of any sort.
Whether that changes this year remains in the balance, with the Vikings sitting sixth in Group B with four points from their opening four matches so far in 2024.
Wins over Surrey and Sussex Sharks have been punctuated by defeats to Notts Outlaws and Gloucestershire, putting the side two points off a quarter-final spot at the group stage’s halfway point.
Shan Masood has led from the front with the bat, scoring 163 runs at 40.75 so far to top those rankings ahead of James Wharton’s 137, while Ben Coad’s nine wickets at 10.55 mark him out as the best bowler.
Yorkshire Vikings squad: TBC
Last Time We Met
Essex were overhauled late on despite a spirited bowling display the last time the sides met in a List A clash, at The Cloud County Ground midway through the group stage of last season’s competition.
Having opted to bat first, the Eagles fired their way to a blistering start, with Michael Pepper’s 34-ball 63 helping the hosts to 175-2 in just the 21st over.
However, a fightback from the Yorkshire bowlers, which included a tight return of 5/37 for Dom Bess, saw Essex dismissed for 221 despite further contributions from Beau Webster and Robin Das.
The Yorkshire chase was often restricted and felt sluggish at times, as all but one of the Eagles’ bowlers returned an economy rate comfortably below five per over.
Aron Nijjar was the standout on a track conducive to spin, taking 2/43 from his ten overs, while Simon Harmer conceded just 33 runs and picked up another scalp from his full allocation.
Despite that, measured half-centuries from captain Shan Masood and James Wharton helped the visitors to eke out a five-wicket win with a little more than four overs to spare.
Group B Table
How To Watch
If you are not joining the Eagles on the Yorkshire coast in person, the match will be live-streamed on the hosts’ YouTube channel and will be available to watch through the Essex Cricket Matchzone.
A report will be published on the Club website at the conclusion of the game, while live updates and highlights will be provided on the Essex Cricket social media channels.
Tickets
For any Eagles fans thinking about a day beside the seaside to cheer on the team, tickets are still available from the Yorkshire website.
These are priced at £22 for adults, £15 for all concessions (over-65s, 18-25-year-olds, and students), and £5 for juniors.
Please be aware that the Yorkshire website will only allow the purchase of a junior ticket when bought in conjunction with one from another of the price categories.
To buy your tickets, visit the link below:
School’s out, cricket’s in: 50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer
White-ball action at The Cloud County Ground continues into August as the Metro Bank One Day Cup group stage reaches a climax.
The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.
Taking place during the school summer holidays, the Eagles’ final home group-stage fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
