Yorkshire Vikings end tough week having Blast at Durham’s expense

Charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board over the racism crisis; beaten by two wickets against Hampshire in Southampton in a County Championship game that could have gone either way, and criticised by David Willey, their T20 captain, for caring more about trying to repair their shattered reputation than about cricket or the well-being of the players, and it is safe to say they have had better days.

But there was succour of sorts in the north-east last night, where they annihilated Durham by 65 runs.

It was as comfortable a win as that margin would suggest, victory consolidating Yorkshire’s place in the top four in the North Group and keeping them on course for the quarter-finals.

After Harry Brook won the toss in Willey’s absence, Brook captaining for the first time in senior cricket due to Willey’s involvement in the one-day international series in Holland, Yorkshire scored 201-5.

It was not quite as big a total as it threatened to be after an opening stand of 105 in just 50 balls between Adam Lyth and Finn Allen, or even when the score had risen to 164-2 by the time Lyth was dismissed in the 14th over.

But it was more than good enough to see off Durham, Lyth leading the way with 81 from 46 balls with 11 fours and a six, Allen contributing 48 from 24 deliveries with five fours and two sixes.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore chipped in with an unbeaten 48, made from 37 balls with three fours and two sixes, with only Scott Borthwick, the leg-spinner, shining for the hosts, capturing 3-34 from his four overs.

A spinner shone brightly for Yorkshire, too – Jack Shutt, the 24-year-old off-spinner.

Making his first T20 appearance of the season, one of five changes to the side that beat Birmingham Bears in the previous game due mainly to the disruption of England call-ups, Shutt was outstanding at the ground where he took 5-11 in the corresponding game in 2019.

There was no five-fer this time, but figures of 4-35 from four overs knocked the stuffing out of Durham’s batting.

Actually, two spinners shone brightly for Yorkshire last night. Dom Bess, to give him his credit, returned 2-24 from his four overs to continue his good form lately.

But it was another disappointing night for Shadab Khan, whose poor T20 campaign continued on his return from international duty with figures of 0-30 and an innings of one. The only way is up for the Pakistan all-rounder.

In mostly cloudy conditions in the north-east, although the sun did break through later in the piece, Lyth and Allen were too good for the hosts with a blizzard of boundaries all around the ground.

They scored 79 in the six-over powerplay, Lyth striking the first 27 of them before Allen broke the sequence with three fours in four balls off Liam Trevaskis, the left-arm spinner.

Allen produced the most memorable six of the night, launching Borthwick high over long-off, for the principal reason that the ball appeared to strike a spectator, although initial concern at the scene seemed quickly to dissipate.

Borthwick got his revenge when Allen tried to pull a ball that was not quite short enough for the shot and was bowled, the New Zealander visibly annoyed to have left more runs out there.

Yorkshire were 118-1 at halfway, Lyth and Kohler-Cadmore adding 59 for the second wicket in 38 balls before Durham were lifted by a flurry of wickets.

Borthwick struck with successive balls in the 15th over, Lyth lofting to Jonathan Bushnell at long-off before the fielder then held a catch at long-on to the right-hander when Brook was unable to find quite enough distance.

Bushnell then pocketed a third catch in quick succession when Shadab holed out at deep mid-wicket in front of the pavilion off Trevaskis.

When Will Fraine was run-out going to the non-striker’s end, having been slow to react to Kohler-Cadmore’s call, Yorkshire had lost 4-6 in 12 balls, but Kohler-Cadmore saw Yorkshire past 200, Thompson chipping in with an unbeaten 13.

When Durham replied, the excellent Dominic Leech set the tone by bowling Graham Clark.

Shutt bowled Michael Jones, had Ashton Turner caught at long-off, Ollie Robinson held at point for the top score of 44 and then bowled Trevaskis, while Bess had Ned Eckerskey skying to cover before bowling Paul Coughlin,

Thompson nipped in with the wicket of Raine, Durham finishing on 136-8 as a tough week for Yorkshire ended on a high.