A THRILLING 12-run triumph over hosts Driffield enabled York Cricket Club to qualify for the Solly Sports Yorkshire League T20 finals day.
In a qualifying group in which York lost to Scarborough, it took net run rate to eventually decide which team would take their place in the semi-finals, each team winning one match.
York’s first match was against Scarborough, the losers of the day’s first match, and a delayed start meant the game was reduced to 18 overs per side.
Asked to bat first, York’s innings got off to a flying start with Liam McKendry (33 off 17 balls) the chief aggressor. Alex Collins (26) was the next highest scorer.
Andy Simpson was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets, but a heavy rain shower brought a premature end to the innings with the score on 124-6 from 17 overs.
Simpson (28) led the way with the bat too, until he was bowled, the first of four wickets for Liam McKendry (4-21).
Having reduced their opponents to 64-5 it looked as though York would record a second win in two days, having won the League encounter against the same opposition on Saturday.
However, they were unable to dislodge Joe Padmore (35 not out) proving enough to guide his side home, to 125-6, with just two balls of the final over to spare.
The opening match defeat left Marcus Wood’s team knowing only a victory over Driffield would send match officials scurrying for their calculators.
In stark contrast to their previous innings, having again been put in to bat, York’s start was almost pedestrian.
In the face of accurate Driffield bowling by the half-way stage of the innings the scoreboard showed just 47-3.
It was, however, the fall of that third wicket which brought Tom Pringle to the crease. His 40 from just 22 deliveries, with three fours and three sixes, enabled York to post 132-8.
Driffield opener Danny Broumpton (38) led from the front, hitting four sixes, and was looking likely to lead his side to victory, until, with the score on 67-1, he attempted to loft Pringle (4-22) for another maximum only to find the safe hands of Alex Collins.
Pringle and fellow spinner Ryan McKendry (4-16 runs) then applied the brakes, and only John Major (23) of the last eight batsmen managed double figures.
When he was the out, caught off the bowling of Richard Love (2-12), from the last ball of the the final over the hosts were still 12 runs short of their target at 120 all out.
The margin of victory was enough to put York through to finals day to be held at Scarborough’s North Marine Road ground next month, where they will be joined by fellow qualifiers Doncaster, Harrogate and Hull.
That day’s winner will lift the trophy, before going on to represent the Yorkshire League in the National Stages of the ECB T20 club competition.
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