Yorkshire slip out of last-eight spot after Northants loss

His fellow pacer Tom Taylor took a stunning career best of 5-28 from four overs, as Yorkshire fell to a second heavy defeat in a row, having slumped to a record low 68 all out when Derbyshire beat them by 144 runs at Chesterfield on Sunday.  

Willey played well himself as he hit a breezy 28 and claimed two wickets wit his left-arm swing as the Steelbacks posted 180-6 before bowling Yorkshire out for just 102 inside 16 overs.

But 28-year-old Taylor was the main man in a 78-run win.  

Willey’s former team have now dropped out of the top four quarter-final qualifying places following their fifth defeat in 11 North Group games, while his current charges won for the fifth time to keep their hopes alive with three games remaining.

After Willey elected to bat, Germany international Justin Broad’s inventive unbeaten 47 off 32 balls with six fours was the best of a quartet of useful contributions in a Northamptonshire innings which stopped and started. 

Fledgling leg-spinner Jafer Chohan shone with a career 1-13 from four overs for the Vikings, who then slumped to 22-4 in reply and couldn’t recover.

Ricardo Vasconcelos underpinned an excellent visiting powerplay at 55-1 by scoring 37, though he was the only man to fall when Dawid Malan took a well-judged catch at cover off Jordan Thompson. 

And his wicket with the penultimate ball of the sixth over started a Steelbacks’ stumble.

Chohan, 20-years-old and in his 11th T20 game, was at the heart of things, having not bowled at Chesterfield when Yorkshire conceded 212-4 against Derbyshire in that aforementioned Sunday loss.

He removed Chris Lynn for three off a top-edged sweep, with Adam Lyth taking a well judged catch like Malan’s running around from short fine-leg – 70-2 in the ninth.

And more damage followed as Emilio Gay miscued a high catch off Thompson to mid-off for 40 and Saif Zaib was run out by a striker’s end direct hit from Shan Masood at short third – 94-4 the 13th. 

That was the first of three run outs in an innings revived by South African-born Broad, aged 22 and in only his third county appearance, and Willey.

They shared 60 inside five overs before Willey was run out at the striker’s end going for a third for 28 off 18 balls following good work at deep midwicket by Dom Bess and thrower Ben Mike. 

AJ Tye hit two sixes but was then caught short of his ground thanks to a direct hit from Thompson in his follow through.

Northamptonshire’s good end to their innings, including Broad hitting two of the last three balls to the boundary, was then carried forwards with the ball as they reduced the Vikings to 7-2 inside 15 balls.

Ben Sanderson had Lyth skying to short third man, where Zaib took a good catch on the run over his shoulder, and then Willey had James Wharton caught behind.

This was not the pitch for a 200 plus total, as is the norm at Headingley, and Yorkshire already looked in trouble.

Any doubt surrounding that theory was soon removed. 

Willey bowled Masood as he gave himself room to play through the off-side before Matthew Revis was bowled by Sanderson, another ex-Tyke, in the next over as the score fell to 22-4 in the sixth. 

Not even in-form Malan’s presence at the crease could revive Yorkshire. 

Seamer Taylor struck twice in two balls in the ninth over, with Jonny Tattersall caught at third man and David Wiese bowled for a golden duck as the score fell to 49-6.

Taylor later returned to bowl Mike and Malan, the latter for 34, and get Thompson caught at wide mid-off.

Australian Tye finished things off by bowling Chohan, with Yorkshire desperately needing to get back on track when they host the Birmingham Bears tomorrow night.