Yorkshire v Kent – CB40 Match report

Ajmal Shahzad went from hero to villain after Kent claimed a two-wicket win over Yorkshire with two balls remaining in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group A clash at Headingley Carnegie.

The England all-rounder boosted Yorkshire with a fiercely struck 59 not out to help them recover to 230 for seven.

However, when Kent were struggling on 175 for five after 32 overs Shahzad came back into the attack and was hammered for five consecutive fours by Martin van Jaarsveld before bowling him for 74 off 65 deliveries with 10 fours.

Despite this onslaught, which followed a cleanly struck 47 from Matt Coles, Yorkshire kept their heads and Shahzad was called upon to bowl the final over with just four needed.

The first ball was scooped to Andrew Gale at cover by dangerman Geraint Jones, who had made a disciplined 39.

Shahzad’s next two deliveries yielded only a single but he was then thumped to the midwicket boundary by Ashley Shaw to leave Yorkshire with just one victory from four matches

Apart from van Jaarsveld’s assault on Shahzad, Kent never really got on top of the Yorkshire attack, Steve Patterson leading the way with 3-45.

Put in to bat, Yorkshire’s innings was given much-needed impetus by Shahzad, who lashed out to good effect as he and David Wainwright smashed 33 from the last 10 deliveries.

Shahzad’s 59 came off 34 balls with eight fours and three sixes to give him his highest one-day score.

He hit consecutive sixes over midwicket off James Tredwell and in the final over from Coles he skied a ball towards square-leg. Jones raced to get underneath the towering hit but dropped it and the batsman responded with two fours and a big six over cover.

The late flourish helped Shahzad atone for being equally to blame in bringing Gary Ballance’s innings of 47 to a sudden and violent end a few overs earlier.

Ballance played Coles out to deep point and came through for a second run but the two batsmen crashed into each other just after crossing and Jones whipped off a bail from Sam Northeast’s return into his gloves.

Yorkshire’s knock began as it ended with a flurry of boundaries, most of them fromGale, who struck 34 with six fours before Azhar Mahmood gained his revenge for some harsh treatment by bowling him with the score on 48 in the seventh over.

Jonathan Bairstow and Joe Root were both bowled by Darren Stevens but Adam Lyth and Ballance put on 68 for the fourth wicket after Ballance had been dropped by van Jaarsveld at slip on 10.

Alex Blake joined the attack at 145 for three, his first ball being cut by Lyth to Stevens at backward point and his fourth trapping Lee Hodgson lbw.

Ballance’s run out and the early departure of Rashid left Yorkshire struggling until Shahzad swung the bat.

Report from ecb.co.uk

Photo by Sarah Ansell of SarahCanterbury.com