Yorkshire Vikings v Essex
Metro Bank One Day Cup
North Marine Road, Scarborough
Tuesday 06 August, 11:00am
Team News
Yorkshire Vikings: Finlay Bean, Harry Duke+, Shan Masood*, James Wharton, Will Luxton, George Hill, Matthew Revis, Dom Bess, Ben Coad, Daniel Moriarty, Ben Cliff
Essex: Nick Browne, Feroze Khushi, Tom Westley*, Robin Das, Luc Benkenstein, Noah Thain, Simon Fernandes+, Shane Snater, Jamal Richards, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard
Match Details
Umpires: Peter Hartley & James Tredwell
Match Referee: Will Smith
Scorers: John Potter & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and chose to bowl first
Result: Yorkshire Vikings won by three wickets
Scorecard: View here
Match Report
Luc Benkenstein’s new career-best List A score was not enough for a spirited Essex to avoid falling to a tense three-wicket Metro Bank One Day Cup defeat to Yorkshire Vikings in Scarborough.
Benkenstein narrowly bettered his previous high score of 67, made against Gloucestershire earlier in this season’s competition, by hitting 68 in 94 balls, while Robin Das contributed a similarly-paced 67.
In doing so, the pair put on 125 while together, comfortably surpassing the previous fourth-wicket List A record for Essex against the White Rose of 83, set by Nasser Hussain and Ronnie Irani in 1998.
Their knocks helped the Eagles to a total of 243-9 from their 50 overs after losing the toss and being inserted, with particular steel required against Ben Coad and Ben Cliff, who took three wickets apiece.
However, James Wharton’s 71 in 89 balls, a knock that included six fours and two sixes, and Shan Masood’s 58 helped the Vikings to just overhaul their target with 3.5 overs to spare.
On a bright day at the North Marine Road outground, Vikings skipper Masood’s decision to field first after winning the toss was vindicated early as Cliff and Coad reduced the visitors to 27-3.
That did not, though, deter Das and Benkenstein, who together repaired the damage and then some, taking Essex to 152-4 as both posted fifties.
The former did so first, cutting Dan Moriarty for a quick two to reach the milestone in 67 balls, while the latter followed five overs later in 71 deliveries via a hard-hit four through mid-on from the same bowler.
Their respective dismissals were either side of Noah Thain coming and going for a swift 19, in a spell that saw the Eagles slip from 185-4 to 190-8.
A pair of resistant late partnerships worth 34 for the ninth wicket and an unbroken 19 for the tenth did, however, stretch the visitors past 200, with Ben Allison finishing unbeaten on 27 from 23 balls.
Facing down a target considerably more challenging than they might otherwise have been chasing were it not for those late stands, there was some initial scratchiness about the Yorkshire response.
When Harry Duke and Finlay Bean became the first pair of wickets at the hands of Shane Snater, leaving the hosts 18-2, they did so for three off 21 deliveries and seven off 16, respectively.
Masood’s knock restored some fluency, as he reached his fifty in 46 balls and found good support in James Wharton, adding 84 for the third wicket.
That was before Tom Westley’s off-breaks put the contest a little more into the balance as the Essex captain struck twice to see off his counterpart Masood, as well as Will Luxton for a swift 16.
Snater then bowled George Hill for a duck before a spectacular diving catch from Simon Fernandes off the bowling of Jamal Richards then did for Matt Revis as the Eagles aimed to turn up the heat.
An even more spectacular catch from Nick Browne at mid-on finally saw off Wharton for the day’s top-score as the contest crept towards a thrilling finish.
With eight overs remaining, the Eagles required three wickets, while the Vikings needed 46 runs, though some late hitting from Dom Bess, in partnership with Ben Coad, helped take a bite out of that.
Adding an unbroken 60 for the eighth wicket, the pair sped the Vikings through a potentially nervy period, and were eventually able to finish the job, with Bess hitting the winning four in the 48th over.
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
