Afridi

By Gary Watton
June 15 2015

A fine all-round cameo from Shahid Afridi, assisted by a big contribution from Messrs Lewis and Duckworth between them conspired to cause the third consecutive downfall of the Vikings in a Twenty20 fixture. Suddenly the Tykes are teetering on the brink of yet another early exit from a competition that they have consistently under-achieved at. Quite frankly, it has been their failings in two close contests in recent weeks that may prove to be their undoing, so it is pointless blaming the fact that they were almost certainly condemned to defeat when they lost the toss and were forced to bat first in a rain-abbreviated match.

Having said that, posting eighty-two runs from twelve overs was a puny effort for a team blessed by the belated inclusion of the belligerent Aaron Finch. A score in excess of one hundred would have been the absolute bare minimum, but the hapless Vikings (or girl guides, more like) collapsed from fifty-five for three to 66 for seven. Leif Ericsson would be turning in his grave at how the Viking name is being so poorly mis-represented! Not surprisingly, the visiting Steelbacks made short work of their less than daunting target, winning with more than four overs to spare.

Why is the hopeless Maxwell being preferred to the in-form Adam Lyth? Oh well, the Vikings themselves will have to demonstrate a steel back in the next few Twenty20 outings if they are to have any hope of success in 2015.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS versus Northamptonshire Steelbacks; at Leeds; Sunday June the 14th 2015. Northamptonshire Steelbacks won the toss.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 82 for seven (off twelve overs)

Finch c Kleinveldt b Stone 5 (7-1)

Maxwell c Crook b Kleinveldt 2 (9-2)

Gale c Cobb b Azharullah 7 (20-3)

Bairstow c Keogh b Azharullah 23 (55-4)

Ballance c Cobb b Shahid Afridi 16 (55-5)

Leaning lbw b Shahid Afridi 0 (55-6)

Bresnan not out 14

Pyrah b Shahid Afridi 7 (66-7)

Middlebrook not out 4

Extras: 4

Shahid Afridi 3-0-15-3

Northamptonshire Steelbacks: 85 for two (off 7.4 overs)

Levi lbw b Middlebrook 35 (56-2)

Cobb c Finch b Bresnan 1 (6-1)

Duckett not out 31

Shahid Afridi not out 14

Extras: 4

Northamptonshire Steelbacks win by eight wickets, via the Duckworth-Lewis method. YORKSHIRE VIKINGS 0 points, Northamptonshire Steelbacks 2 points.

CURRENT TABLE:

Durham - 8 points from eight matches

Warwickshire - 8 points from five matches

Leicestershire - 7 points from six matches

Lancashire - 6 points from five matches

Nottinghamshire - 6 points from six matches

Worcestershire - 6 points from five matches

Northamptonshire - 5 points from six matches

YORKSHIRE - 4 points from five matches

Derbyshire - 2 points from six matches