Rafiq Spearheads Surprise Triumph

Yorkshire Vikings kept alive the faint hopes of progressing in this year's Twenty20 charade with a narrow and peculiar victory against Derbyshire. There was no obvious hero but a trio of wickets for the stand-in captain Azeem Rafiq proved to be a match-winning effort.

Having been invited to bat, the Tykes produced a total which was barely adequate and certainly nothing to write home about. Nobody recorded a big score and Derbyshire helped themselves to nine wickets. The stage was set for a Derbyshire win when their opening partnership accumulated forty-nine runs. However, the host county mysteriously came unstuck as a consequence of feeble batting and disciplined bowling from the Vikings, the erratic Plunkett excepted. It was particularly pleasing that Rafiq and Rashid both completed their four-over stints without incurring much damage. Nevertheless, one must spare a thought for Johannes Morkel who stood head and shoulders above all the other participants and who did not deserve to be on the losing team. With Derbyshire falling just short of the far from demanding target, having conceded four less wickets, this can scarcely be described as a convincing Yorkshire success. Certainly in the absence of Bairstow, Gale, Lyth, Miller, and Root, the Tykes don't seem sufficiently equipped to attain any glory in this limited-overs tournament. Still, stranger things have happened!

Derbyshire versus YORKSHIRE; at Chesterfield; Sunday 14th July 2013; Derbyshire won the toss.

YORKSHIRE: 142 for 9 (20 overs)

Jaques b Redfern 22 (70-2)

Sayers c Godleman b Morkel 11 (21-1)

Hodgson c Durston b Morkel 31 (81-3)

Ballance c Godleman b Morkel 28 (114-5)

Hodd b Morkel 0 (81-4)

Rashid c Groenewald b Turner 11 (117-6)

Plunkett c Groenewald b Turner 15 (137-8)

Pyrah b Turner 6 (136-7)

Rafiq not out 2

Sidebottom c Hughes b Groenewald 3 (142-9)

Extras: 13

Morkel 4-25; Turner 3-21

DERBYSHIRE: 136 for 5 (20 overs)

Hughes c Pyrah b Rafiq 21 (49-2)

Durston retired hurt 8

Madsen run out 19 (49-1)

Redfern c Pyrah b Rafiq 9 (64-3)

Godleman c Jaques b Rafiq 8 (67-4)

Morkel not out 51

Poynton c Ballance b Pyrah 15 (102-5)

Clare not out 3

Extras: 2

Rafiq 3-22

Sidebottom c Hughes b Groenwald 3 (142-9)

Extras: 13

Morkel 4-25; Turner 3-21

DERBYSHIRE: 136 for 5 (20 overs)

Hughes c Pyrah b Rafiq 21 (49-2)

Durston retired hurt 8

Madsen run out 19 (49-1)

Redfern c Pyrah b Rafiq 9 (64-3)

Godleman c Jaques b Rafiq 8 (67-4)

Morkel not out 51

Poynton c Ballance b Pyrah 15 (102-5)

Clare not out 3

Extras: 2

Rafiq 3-22

YORKSHIRE win by 6 runs.

YORKSHIRE win by 6 runs.