Yorkshire top group after thumping win

Yorkshire 158 for 5 beat Netherlands 154 for 9 by
Scorecard

Yorkshire moved back to the top of Group B in the Clydesdale Bank 40 with a thumping five-wicket win over Holland. They were in control from the moment captain Andrew Gale elected to bowl first after winning the toss in Schiedam.

Tim Bresnan was the first to strike. In only the sixth over he removed Eric Szwarczynski for 4 and Michael Dighton for 14 to reduce the Dutch to 26 for 2. Then, after Ajmal Shahzad had clean-bowled Tom Cooper for 12, Rich Pyrah began his assault on the hosts. Finishing with season-best figures of 4 for 24, he struck twice in the 12th over to leave Holland five down.

Dutch captain Peter Borren was his first victim, when he lost his off stump for 7, before Bresnan caught Wesley Barresi at midwicket only three balls later for 9. Pyrah then picked up his third wicket in his next over as the hosts continued to struggle, when Mudassar Bukhari was caught behind by Gerard Brophy for 2.

At this stage the hosts were 64 for 6, but Adil Rashid made sure there would be no imminent fightback as he helped himself to figures of 2 for 28. Pieter Seelaar was his first victim, trapped lbw for 12 in the 28th over, before Bas Zuiderent fell in the same manner for 19 only six overs later.

It meant that Holland had been reduced to 101 for 8 in the 34th over, but some late runs at least made their final total respectable. Maurits Jonkman led them, with an unbeaten 25, but Adeel Raja, who made 19, and Bernard Loots, who finished on 13 not out, were also impressive. Together they added 53 runs from the last 41 balls to help Holland close on 154 for 9 from their 40 overs.

However, with an asking rate of only 3.8 an over, Yorkshire were quickly into their stride through openers Gale and Jacques Rudolph. The two of them added 41 for the first wicket, until Rudolph skied one to Seelaar at midwicket off Loots for six. That ended the partnership, and with only one more run being added Gale was also out off Jonkman for 32.

Anthony McGrath was next out, making only eight before being trapped lbw by Borren, and when Adam Lyth was caught off the same man by Barresi for 23, Yorkshire were in trouble.

However, Brophy, who made 25 before being ousted by Seelaar, and Jonathan Bairstow, who made an unbeaten 46, then embarked on a 59-run partnership to help see Yorkshire home. Tim Bresnan was also there at the close, on 5, but it was Bairstow who hit the winning runs with 24 balls to spare.