Yorkshire Vikings won a highly competitive and enthralling Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash with Sussex Sharks at York - by 49 runs - with a number of valuable contributions led by captain Shan Masood and spin-bowling all-rounder Dom Bess.
Both sides contributed significantly to this sun-kissed Group B fixture played out in front of a 3,417 crowd at the Minster City’s Clifton Park yesterday.
Masood underpinned Yorkshire’s 261 all out with a measured 63 off 79 balls, while seamer Henry Crocombe impressed for the Sharks with 4-47 from 9.4 overs.
The Vikings then sealed their second win in three matches as Bess, who earlier hit 37 with the bat, struck twice with his off-spinners in Sussex’s 212 all out in 44 overs.
Their stand-in captain Tom Clark top-scored with 55 off 66 balls, but he couldn’t prevent a third straight defeat.
The Vikings looked well set at various points on a pitch offering something for everyone having been inserted, only to lose wickets when acceleration looked likely.
After Will Luxton was bowled in the first over by Ari Karvelas, Masood and Fin Bean shared a steadying 51 for the second wicket, while the captain later added 60 for the third with James Wharton, who contributed 38.
But the cases of Bean and Masood best summed up Yorkshire’s progress.
Bean was dropped on nought at deep backward point in the second over, but he couldn’t take full advantage and was caught behind off Karvelas for 37, leaving the score at 53-2 in the ninth over.
Fin Bean had an early reprieve and he bounced back from that nicely, only to be dismissed when looking well set. (Image: Ray Spencer.)
Masood, having reached a 68-ball fifty, was later run out coming back for two to deep backward square-leg, meaning his side were in a precarious position at 170-5 after 50 overs.
Harry Duke and Bess both batted positively for 38 and 37, taking their side up to 250 with a seventh-wicket 61.
While Karvelas struck twice, fellow seamer Danial Ibrahim was excellent for one for 29 from his 10 overs.
But Crocombe was the pick, taking four later wickets to ensure Yorkshire’s final total remained gettable.
Yorkshire started their defence of that brightly, with Sussex slipping to 23-2 after Will Luxton ran Tom Haines out and talismanic seamer Ben Coad bowled Henry Rogers for a duck.
But Sussex hit back, as Clark and wicketkeeper-batter Charlie Tear added a dynamic 95 stand inside 17 overs for the third wicket.
However, Bess put the skids on the Sussex innings not too long afterwards.
In successive overs from the City End, he had a sweeping Tear caught at deep backward square-leg for 43 and then Clark caught at cover as Sussex slipped to 123-4 in the 25th over.
From there, Yorkshire put the squeeze on an inexperienced Sussex middle and lower order.
Coad had Zach Lion-Cachet caught behind and left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty trapped Ibrahim lbw in successive overs to leave the visitors floundering on 161-6 from 33 overs.
Oli Carter played nicely for 43, but he couldn’t provide the dynamism the Sharks required.
And when he tried, he holed out to deep square-leg off Moriarty, leaving the score at 198-7 in the 42nd over.
Matthew Revis had Bertie Foreman caught behind for 22 soon after before Karvelas was run out by Hill.
And it was the latter who took the final wicket too, cleaning up No.11 Jack Campbell for a duck as Yorkshire triumphed convincingly.
The win propels them up to fourth in Group B, and a top-three finish will ensure they qualify for the six-team knockout stages later this month.
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