Jordan Thompson’s All-Round Brilliance Leads Yorkshire to 29 Runs Victory Over Northants

Northamptonshire’s 157 for 8 (Vasconcelos 37, Bopara 35, Thompson 3-18) was defeated by Yorkshire’s 186 for 6 (Malan 41, Bopara 4-34) by 29 runs.

The Vikings won by 29 runs after restricting the Steelbacks to 157 for 8, needing to chase 187. Dom Bess and Matt Revis also shared two wickets apiece.

After bowling figures of 4 for 34 and Ricardo Vasconcelos making 37, Ravi Bopara had put the hosts in the hunt with 35 off 21 balls; but, with wickets dropping often, the Vikings had the upper hand. Yorkshire got off to a flying start thanks to Joe Root (35), Dawid Malan (41), and 67 runs in 8.1 overs before Yorkshire slumped to 100 for 4 in the 13th over.

However, they reached 186 for 6 thanks to a record-breaking fifth-wicket partnership of 64 between Shan Masood and Dom Bess, as well as some big hitting from Thomspon in the last over against Northamptonshire.

In the previous game, Root attacked Ben Sanderson right away, hitting him for two boundaries before blasting him over deep midwicket and hooking David Willey to fine leg.

Malan was also picking up on the ropes, and Yorkshire were in a good position at 55 without loss after Root hit Sanderson for four from the last ball of the powerplay.

But Root’s exit was dramatic, as he lumbered past Bopara to cow corner, where he found George Bartlett holding the ball. Bartlett threw the ball up, using his momentum to get over the rope, and Root stepped back onto the pitch to finish the catch. With the next delivery, Bopara got his second wicket as he bowled James Wharton with some seam movement.

Following two deliveries from Bopara, Donovan Ferreira blasted two massive sixes over deep midwicket, but he skied his following delivery to Matthew Breetzke at far off. Malan, in the meantime, made history by hitting Bopara for six over the ground, but the spinner got the last laugh once more when Malan was bowled while backing away.

From the first delivery, incoming batsman Bess was in action, taking 12 off Sikander Raza, including a switch shot for four. Meanwhile, Masood smashed George Scrimshaw high over long-on for six after sending spinner Freddie Heldreich’s first two deliveries to the ropes. Willey bowled the 18th over, which Bess hit two consecutive boundaries off of. Masood hit Scrimshaw for six in the last over, but the tall fast bowler caught Bess at mid-off.

Before being dropped by Bartlett in the deep, Thompson struck Willey for four and a six over long-on to start an entertaining final over. Before being caught, Thompson scored one more maximum, giving Willey his 299th wicket in T20 cricket.

Dan Moriarty was the target of Vasconcelos for the Steelbacks, who took him down the field for six and four straight completions. However, fellow opener Breetzke (11) mishandled his swing and was thoroughly bowled, as the Steelbacks ended the powerplay at 43 for 1.

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After Root was having a hard time getting away and the needed run rate was quickly rising above 10, Vasconcelos finally used the reverse sweep and swung Bess high over deep square for six.

When Willey picked out Root on the long-off boundary off Bess, any ambitions Willey had of capping his 100th T20 match for Northamptonshire with a big score were scuppered. Root quickly had a second when Vasconcelos was caught by Revis sprinting in from the square-leg boundary.

With a huge six off his hip behind square off Jafer Chohan, Saif Zaib kept the Steelbacks in the hunt, but his innings was short-lived when he skied one off Thompson, with the bowler himself taking the catch as he sprinted towards square leg. Thompson removed Raza from the game two balls later when he struck the ground and was collected by Root at long-off.

In the fourteenth over, Bopara took the Steelbacks above the hundred mark by hitting Moriarty over long-off for six and pulling Chohan for four. He then unleashed a massive six off Revis over the food stalls at cow corner. Lewis McManus launched an assault on Revis as well, hitting a maximum into the parking lot near Abington Avenue.

When Bopara swung Moriarty off his hip, it took a unique fielding move to remove him, but Thompson made a spectacular diving catch, racing in from the deep square leg boundary. Then, with the ball this time, Bartlett fell cheaply to Thompson.

McManus smashed two successive fours off Revis, but as Yorkshire neared victory, he went out for a strong 26 from just 14 balls, caught by Moriarty off Revis.