Yorkshire defeated Lancashire by 15 runs at Headingley on Thursday (June 1), thanks to another vintage performance by Dawid Malan. Malan’s classy fifty was the linchpin of Yorkshire’s batting performance, as they reached a respectable total after being called into bat. Although the hosts would have liked to surpass the 200-run mark, Malan nearly batted the entire inning with contributions from the other end. Lancashire’s New Zealanders, Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomm, stifled the run rate with their outstanding bowling.
In response, Lancashire suffered an early setback when Jos Buttler fell to Dom Bess. Taking a cue from their opponent’s bowling performance, Yorkshire slowed down and suffocated the intimidated Lancs batting line-up, preventing the chase from gaining any significant momentum. Tom Hartley and Luke Wood made cameo appearances at the end, but by then, the outcome was already determined. For the second consecutive match, Yorkshire’s bowlers held their own against a formidable batting lineup.
Yorkshire 195/6 (Malan 83, Lyth 32; de Grandhomme 3-24) defeated Lancashire 180/8 (Hartley 39; Mike 2-31, Wiese 2-34) in 20 overs by 15 runs.
Leicestershire versus Derby County
At Grace Road, Leicester, Derbyshire secured a nerve-wracking two-run victory over Leicestershire. Wayne Madsen scored a brilliant century to begin the visitors’ innings, and with the assistance of Thomas Wood and Brook Guest, he brought the total to a competitive level. This was after two goals scored by Callum Parkinson gave Leicestershire a perfect start to the contest. Madsen, on the other hand, was irrepressible as he tore through the bowling.
Colin Ackermann and Rishi Patel’s partnership kept Leicestershire in the hunt despite the fact that their pursuit was not at maximum speed. Rehan Ahmed contributed a late cameo, but Derbyshire maintained their composure to prevail.
Derbyshire’s 189/5 in 20 overs (Madsen 109*, Wood 37; Ahmed 2-20) defeated Leicestershire’s 187/5 in 20 overs (Ackermann 59, Patel 44; Chappell 2-39) by two runs.
Sussex vs Essex
At Hove’s County Ground, Essex secured their second consecutive victory with a convincing 25-run victory over Sussex. Feroze Khushi’s early brilliance and a partnership between Simon Harmer and Robin Das enabled the visitors to post a respectable score on a typically difficult pitch. Shadab Khan and Tymal Mills excelled with the ball for Sussex, utilizing the conditions to their advantage.
Sussex’s pursuit never got off the ground as they fell to 15/4 in no time, and they were always playing catch-up thereafter. Harmer made the initial discoveries, while Matthew Critchley caused the harm later on. James Coles and Oliver Carter engaged in some conflict, but they could only contain the damage.
Brief scores: Essex 163/7 in 20 overs defeated Sussex 138 in 20 overs (Coles 35; Harmer 4-28, Critchley 3-28) by 28 runs.