A lovely day spoiled.....

This article first appeared on the ACS Cricket website on 
02 August 2024, reporter Brian Sanderson.

Returning at York today to see Yorkshire take on Gloucestershire in the fifty-over competition, I was pleased to see a bigger crowd than earlier in the week. Perhaps this means nothing more than that it was a Friday. Or perhaps my late philippic has roused the masses. The sun was out, and the ground looked excellent. These are the days a Yorkshireman lives for.
I stationed my chair at the opposite end of the ground from the one I occupied on Wednesday. Variety is the spice of life !

Gloucestershire won the toss and batted, and someone commented that runs were in the offing; the wicket looked better than on Wednesday. No sooner had I ingested this intelligence than I was treated to that rarest of sights in this competition: the arrival at the crease of an international batsman, the Australian Cameron Bancroft. But he was soon out for thirteen, caught by Duke behind the wickets off a beautiful swinging delivery from Ben Coad. You can see it now if you like—and I would strongly recommend you do—on Yorkshire’s YouTube channel:
In fact, you should check out all of Coad’s spell, for he bowled excellently throughout, finishing with two for 27 in his ten overs.

Next in was Ollie Price, who held the innings together with a score of 98 before being yorked by George Hill for 98. I felt sorry; he deserved a century. He was seventh out at 237 in the 48th over, and Gloucestershire finished on 251 for nine. The other bowler worth mentioning was Daniel Moriarty, who took two for 42 in his ten overs.

A Yorkshire supporter observed to me at the break that our lads have not proven very good of late at chasing a total, and certainly they did not start well today: They were 24 for two after seven overs. Ajeet Singh Dale, of the sharp, slinging action, looked too good for our batters.
It was left to Shan Masood and James Wharton to give us any hope of hauling in the target. Those hopes were on the rise when Masood reached 76, but then he was caught at the wicket off Mike Taylor. He lingered a second at the crease after the umpire raised his finger: Was it disappointment, or was he hard done by? I cannot say.
The last resort was for James Wharton to carry his bat, but he fell, too, and in the end Yorkshire were all out for 215 in the 48th over. This drops them down to fifth, with just four points on the broad. They will have to improve significantly in the two matches at Scarborough next week if they are to reach the quarter-finals. Scarborough could certainly do with the money that would accrue from a pair of well-contested matches.