Ross Whiteley

By Gary Watton
July 14 2015

The inappropriately-named Vikings contrived to produce a performance that deteriorated rapidly against the Rapids of Worcestershire. In the event, the victorious away team have deservedly booked their place in the last eight of the Twenty20 Blast. The Yorkshire Girl Guides (a more apt moniker) are left with two matches in which they shall have to restore pride and avoid finishing bottom of the northern group. On the evidence of tonight's abject capitulation, even that task may be beyond the so-called Vikings.

Martyn Moxon may have earlier praised the efforts of the temporarily departing Glenn Maxwell, but the India-bound Aussie duly responded with a customary duck egg. Meanwhile I don't retreat from my assertion that Andrew Gale is not opening batsman material. He remains to the Vikings what Brearley was to England - a competent captain but a big fat liability as a batsman. Of course the bowling was equally horrendous. The trio of Gibson, Maxwell, and Plunkett conceded eighty-seven runs from seven overs in the face of a brutal onslaught from the magnificent Ross Whiteley. The latter peppered the occasion with eleven sixes and was only denied a stunningly quick century by the closure of the team innings. Whiteley can be warmly congratulated for giving the crowd their money's worth - something that the Vikings spectacularly failed to manage. The end of the group stage cannot come quickly enough for the Tykes.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS versus Worcestershire Rapids; at Leeds; Tuesday the 14th of July. Worcestershire Rapids won the toss.

Worcestershire Rapids: 191 for six (off twenty overs)

Mitchell b Plunkett 49 (124-5)

Oliver c Bresnan b Plunkett 13 (23-1)

Kohler-Cadmore c Lees b Fisher 8 (33-2)

Munro c Bairstow b Rhodes 8 (51-3)

D'Oliveira c Carver b Rhodes 4 (63-4)

Whiteley not out 91

Cox c Bairstow b Plunkett 10 (152-6)

Leach not out 1

Extras: 7

Plunkett 4-0-49-3

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 117 (off seventeen overs)

Lees c Shantry b Ajmal 20 (27-1)

Gale c Ajmal b D'Oliveira 24 (60-5)

Rhodes run out (Mitchell) 10 (43-2)

Bairstow c Barnard b Mitchell 4 (60-3)

Maxwell c Kohler-Cadmore b D'Oliveira 0 (60-4)

Leaning run out (Shantry) 27 (101-8)

Bresnan c Whiteley b D'Oliveira 4 (69-6)

Plunkett c Leach b Ajmal 9 (97-7)

Gibson c Whiteley b Shantry 14 (117)

Carver c Cox b Shantry 2 (108-9)

Fisher not out 0

Extras: 3

D'Oliveira 4-0-29-3

Worcestershire Rapids won by 74 runs. YORKSHIRE VIKINGS no points, Worcestershire Rapids two points.

CURRENT GROUP STANDINGS:

Warwickshire - eighteen points from eleven matches

Worcestershire - sixteen points from twelve matches

Northamptonshire - thirteen points from eleven matches

Lancashire - twelve points from eleven matches

Durham - ten points from twelve matches

Nottinghamshire - ten points from eleven matches

Leicestershire - ten points from thirteen matches

YORKSHIRE - nine points from twelve matches

Derbyshire - eight points from thirteen matches

BEST BOWLERS (minimum criteria of ten wickets)

Plunkett -18.6; ten wickets; best bowling: 3-49

Maxwell - 21.17; twelve wickets; best bowling: 3-15

Fisher - 23.69; thirteen wickets; best bowling: 5-22

No other Viking has even managed to take ten wickets.....yet.

BATSMEN (minimum criteria of one hundred runs)

Leaning - 39.71; 278 runs; highest score: 48 not out

Bairstow - 33.22; 299 runs; highest score: 92

Bresnan - 31; 155 runs; highest score: 51

Gale - 26.18; 288 runs; highest score: 68 not out

Maxwell - 21.2; 212 runs; highest score: 92 not out

No other Viking has even managed to hit one hundred runs.....yet.