Sensational Willey

David Willey, in the midst of a red-hot streak of form, followed up his show-stopping bravado from Friday night by smashing his merry way into the record books by posting the highest ever innings by a Yorkshire player in the history of Twenty20 cricket contests. In addition to Willey's rampage of sixes and fours which had Worcestershire at sixes and sevens, every Viking batsman, bar Marsh, managed at least one boundary. Even Handscomb and the recalled Lees hit their combined thirty runs very quickly, thereby adding to the onslaught.

 However, just when the visitors were bracing themselves for mission impossible, they proceeded to a run chase which was a commendable exercise in sheer defiance. Although a victory against all the odds proved not surprisingly beyond them, the away team produced their own notable slice of history. It came in the guise of an extraordinary performance from Ross Whiteley who blasted a jaw-dropping six sixes from one over from the unfortunate Karl Carver. Peculiarly young Karl had conceded a mere four runs from his first five balls, before Whiteley tortured him with seven sixes off his next seven legitimate deliveries. The hapless Carver actually conceded 37 runs from his second over, a fact which could easily become the source of many a quiz question hereafter. Fortunately for the hosts, the wily old Patto rescued the day with some shrewd and characteristically miserly bowling either side of Whiteley's carnage. I also think that a psychologically damaged Carver should have been granted the final over when Worcestershire needed snookers and Whiteley had exited the stage. This was a missed opportunity for Carver's fragile morale to be rehabilitated.

Nevertheless, the Tykes have now strung together two wins and look handily placed to qualify from their group. If Willey and associates keep batting like they did today, they won't go far wrong!

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS versus Worcestershire Rapids; in Leeds; Twenty20; Sunday July the 23rd. Worcestershire Rapids won the toss.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 233 for six (off twenty overs)

Lyth c Santner b Hastings 31 (95-2)

Lees b Hastings 11 (14-1)

Willey b Barnard 118 (215-5)

Marsh c Whiteley b Santner 4 (112-3)

Handscomb c Rhodes b Shantry 19 (148-4)

Leaning c Cox b Leach 14 (229-6)

Bresnan not out 13

Rashid not out 4

Extras: nineteen

Worcestershire Rapids: 196 for seven (off twenty overs)

Hastings c Leaning b Bresnan 24 (37-1)

Clarke c Leaning b Rashid 51 (117-4)

Cox c Carver b Rafiq 5 (67-2)

Santner c Lyth b Rashid 21 (104-3)

Whiteley c Leaning b Willey 65 (187-5)

D'Oliveira not out 15

Barnard c Carver b Patterson 1 (190-6)

Leach c Handscomb b Bresnan 1 (195-7)

Mitchell not out 0

Extras: thirteen

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS win by 37 runs.