Harry Brook and Joe Root shared an unbroken stand of 87 as Yorkshire Vikings beat Worcestershire Rapids by seven wickets at Headingley on the opening night time of this season’s T20 Blast.
Jack Haynes made 61 off 33 balls because the guests totalled 172-9, however Brook (60 off 27) and Root (35) – who’re each in England’s squad for subsequent week’s first Test towards New Zealand – steered their aspect to 175-3 with 11 balls to spare.
The begin of the twentieth season of England’s home Twenty20 competitors additionally included a rematch of final yr’s ultimate as trophy holders Kent Spitfires recovered to make 162-6 towards Somerset, thanks to Jack Leaning’s 72 not out off 43 balls.
It was not sufficient as Rilee Rossouw (81 not out) and Tom Abell (48 not out) placed on 121 to see Somerset to 166-2 and an eight-wicket victory.
Root again as captain – briefly
Root gave up the England Test captaincy final month, however was named Yorkshire skipper for the night with David Willey unavailable.
He misplaced the toss, with 2018 winners Worcestershire opting to bat first, and though Ed Pollock went early, in-form Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira had been quickly racing alongside at greater than 10 an over for the Rapids.
When Root got here on to bowl, Haynes hammered his first supply for six, however he proved to be the partnership breaker as D’Oliveira, on 32, was caught at cowl.
Haynes, who made 100 in every of his final three Championship video games, hit 5 sixes however was caught at deep mid-wicket off Matthew Revis within the twelfth over.
Ben Cox and Jake Libby went in the identical over from Jordan Thompson (3-35) and Gareth Roderick then adopted, a sufferer of an uncommon run-out.
He performed the ball again down the pitch and it hit the stumps, dislodging one bail – Roderick opted to go for a single, however bowler Haris Rauf ran throughout to the leg aspect and beat the batter with a throw which knocked off the opposite bail.
The innings ended when Pat Brown, who missed all the 2021 Blast due to damage, was run out and the Rapids had solely scored 30 off the final 27 balls.
Yorkshire got a constructive begin in reply by Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan, who placed on 70 in 7.4 overs.
When Malan holed out, Yorkshire had been 88-3 and though Root had a stroke of luck on six when he virtually performed on to Charlie Morris, he and Brook – who raced to 50 off 23 balls – comfortably knocked off the runs.
Kent high order fails
Defending champions Kent had three England gamers of their high 4, however Zak Crawley, Sam Billings and Joe Denly all fell for single-figure scores at Canterbury because the Spitfires, who gained the toss, struggled to come to phrases with the pitch.
Only Leaning – who went in at 31-3 – appeared to have the measure of the situations and located assist from Jordan Cox (11) and George Linde (29) who joined him in stands of 52 and 54.
He reached 50 off 31 balls with an enormous leg-side six in the direction of a block of flats outdoors the bottom as Kent added 69 off the final 5 overs to give themselves an opportunity.
Tom Banton scored 107 not out in final season’s corresponding fixture, which Somerset gained by 10 wickets, however this time managed solely 9 earlier than being caught at mid-wicket off Matt Milnes.
They had been 45-2 when Will Smeed picked out Cox off Freddie Klaassen, however highly effective South African Rossouw marked his debut with a 41-ball fifty after being dropped by Daniel Bell-Drummond on 49, a leaping one-handed probability off Qais Ahmad.
He struck two sixes in his 54-ball knock and ended the sport from the primary ball of the ultimate over by drilling Klaassen previous mid-off for his seventh 4.
Thursday’s fixtures
Radlett: Middlesex v Gloucestershire (16:30 BST)
Edgbaston: Birmingham Bears v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (18:30)
Leicester: Leicestershire Foxes v Durham (18:30)
Hove: Sussex Sharks v Glamorgan (19:00)
Friday’s fixtures
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Sussex Sharks (18:30)
Old Trafford: Lancashire Lightning v Yorkshire Vikings (18:30)
Northampton: Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Durham (18:30)
Trent Bridge: Notts Outlaws v Worcestershire Rapids (18:30)
The Oval: Surrey v Glamorgan (18:30)
Derby: Derbyshire Falcons v Birmingham Bears (19:00)
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire Hawks v Middlesex (19:00)
Canterbury: Kent Spitfires v Essex Eagles (19:00)
