Brezza: match winner

By Gary Watton
August 7 2014

In a low-scoring match during which nobody registered a half century, the outstanding performance in Yorkshire's emphatic triumph over Worcestershire was undoubtedly from Tim Bresnan. Brezza immediately put the visitors on the back foot with three early wickets which succeeded in opening up the floodgates and enabling the rest of his colleagues (most notably Rashid) to help themselves to a regular supply of wickets.

The main resistance came initially from the away team's Mitchell, but he eventually became the prize wicket for 16-year-old Matt Fisher, who bowled with much control, thereby justifying the decision to include him and rest Steven Patterson. We can expect further rotating of the bowlers in the forthcoming contests and therefore more game time for the more than able understudy, Matt Fisher. Mind you, it will be difficult to rest big Bresnan when he is in such fine fettle. If his test career looks all but over, today was further convincing evidence that Tim would remain an asset to the England one-day team.

Meanwhile, one note of concern is how flakey the batting was again. One would dread to think how the Tykes would have coped with a target in excess of two hundred runs. Happily, the mid-order duo of Leaning and Rashid comfortably guided the hosts over the finishing line, with lots of time and wickets to spare. This victory represented a long-overdue home win for the white rose in a limited-overs encounter. Now that the home team have secured their third win from their first four group matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup, they have one foot in the quarter finals. Admittedly, similar optimism was expressed prematurely in the latter stages of the Twenty20 group phase. Hopefully another win tomorrow against Leicestershire will almost nail down a place in the last eight.

YORKSHIRE versus Worcestershire; at Headingley; Thursday 7th August 2014. Worcestershire won the toss.

Worcestershire: 141 off 43.2 overs (Bresnan 4-28, Rashid 3-21)

YORKSHIRE: 144 for four off 30.2 overs (McClenaghan 3-57)

YORKSHIRE won by six wickets. YORKSHIRE 2 points, Worcestershire 0 points.