Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Harry Duke claimed six catches behind the stumps at Radlett today, the most victims by a Yorkshire wicketkeeper in a List A innings.
Harry Duke broke the Yorkshire record for wicketkeeping victims in a List A innings as his six catches helped bowl Middlesex out for 129 and claim a significant seven-wicket victory in a top-of-the-table Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash with Middlesex at Radlett.
Group B leaders Yorkshire secured their fourth win in five games and are very much on course for a top-three finish and knockout qualification with three matches remaining.
Duke took top billing in an innings which saw Ben Coad bowl 10 overs straight through with the new ball and return 3-26 on a pitch offering the bowlers assistance courtesy of invariable bounce. Fellow seamer Matt Milnes was equally impressive with 4-29 from eight overs.
In leafy Hertfordshire, Yorkshire then chased very comfortably to move to 16 points and with a very healthy net run-rate against a team who were second in the table at the start of play and level on points with them. Imam-Ul-Haq, back in the side following a game out through injury, continued his excellent form with an unbeaten 54 off 66 balls, including seven fours, as the visitors chased their target in 27 overs.
Given the nature of the pitch, this was a superb knock. It was his fourth time to 50 in as many matches in this campaign, including two hundreds, and he is the competition’s leading run-scorer with 385 at an average of 128.33.
Middlesex posted the lowest ever List A total in matches played at this venue, the Brunton Memorial Ground, with only two batters reaching 20. Sam Robson made a battling 28 in the top order, Noah Cornwell a counter-attacking 28 not out in a desperate bid to boost the total late on.
Yorkshire made a dream start as they reduced Middlesex, who elected to bat, to 5-3 inside four overs. This very much fell into the category of, ‘Good toss to lose’.
In truth, they had the perfect attack for this helpful surface on a glorious day in southern England. All four of their seamers struck, with Jack White making the initial breakthrough and George Hill adding two wickets later on.Â
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Matt Milnes struck four times as Middlesex were bowled out for 129 having elected to bat.
White’s early strike came three balls into the contest before new-ball partner Coad added the other two.Â
On a pitch offering plenty, including extra bounce, Yorkshire had the ideal opening pair.Â
White had Josh De Caires bowled for a duck as the right-hander played on – seemingly off his back elbow.
Coad’s first ball then accounted for the other opener Joe Cracknell, well caught low down at point going to his right by Will Luxton, before captain Ben Geddes was caught behind.
Robson helped steady the ship.
But, thankfully, not for long.
Yorkshire struck twice in three balls late in the 12th over and at the start of the 13th, leaving the score at 43-5. Coad had Robson caught at first slip tentatively feeling for one outside off-stump before Milnes had Jack Davies caught behind down leg with his first ball.
Milnes struck again when Luke Hollman played on cutting before Hill had Nathan Fernandes caught behind, leaving the score at 84-7 in the 24th over.
Toby Roland-Jones pulled Hill for the first of only two sixes in the innings but fell caught behind next ball to another one which bounced more than anticipated.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Ben Coad helped Yorkshire strengthen their position at the top of Group B, taking three wickets with the  new ball.
Henry Brookes was also caught behind off Milnes, as was Nathan Gilchrist to end the innings in 31 overs.
But, sandwiched in between, seamer Noah Cornwell buccaneered his way to 28 off 17 balls with five fours and a hoisted six over long-on off Hill.
Left-handed Cornwell hit three fours and that six as 19 came off Hill in the 30th to at least give Middlesex something to bowl at.
The late David Bairstow had claimed five victims in a List A innings for Yorkshire twice before, Richard Blakey had done it three times and Gerard Brophy once.Â
But 23-year-old Duke stands alone at the top of that list.
Imam was back in the Yorkshire side after missing Thursday’s defeat to Somerset at York because of a minor hip flexor injury, with Coad and White back in for Ben Cliff and Matthew Revis. The latter is now on duty with the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.
Lyth was dropped behind down leg on nought by Cracknell in the opening over off Roland-Jones, and Middlesex needed everything to go right to defend this small target.
Imam seared a cut backward of point off Gilchrist’s seam in the second over, and Yorkshire were away.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth helped set the tone in Yorkshire’s reply with an opening 39.
Lyth did most of the early run-scoring, hitting five fours in 22 as the score became 32-0 after eight overs, the target now below 100.
He took three fours off Gilchrist in the 10th over as the White Rose reached 44-0, including a lovely straight drive down the ground.
The two left-handers shared 59 inside 12 overs for the first wicket, a partnership broken when Lyth – on 39 – cut the seam of Brookes to backward point.
Brookes then struck twice more in his next over when Will Luxton and James Wharton were caught behind, leaving the score at 67-3.
Luxton was undone by extra bounce, Wharton via the inside-edge.Â
And that brought record-breaker Duke to the crease, giving him the chance to help dot the i’s and cross the t’s on victory, which he duly did with a composed unbeaten 28.
When Imam reached his fifty, off 63 balls, Yorkshire were 111-3 in the 25th over and all but home and hosed.Â
Imam and Duke shared an unbroken 63 for the fourth wicket.
Yorkshire are back in action on Friday when they face Durham at Scarborough.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Imam-Ul-Haq was superb with the bat once again this afternoon as Yorkshire hunt knockout cricket in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.