Young County slip as McGrath shows class
Yorkshire Carnegie secured a home semi-final in the Clydesdale Bank 40 as they claimed a four-wicket win at the County Ground.
The form book suggested no other result, but the visitors were made to work by a Steelbacks side who, no doubt frustratingly for those involved, have shown an upturn in form ever since their chance of qualification died.
Anthony McGrath was the difference between the sides on the night. His calm 70 transformed a poor start into what turned out to be a well-paced chase.
Andrew Hall made the obvious decision when he won the toss, allowing Rob Keogh, in for the injured Mal Loye, to have an immediate taste of the action along side Rob Newton.
Understandably the debutant displayed a few nerves and it was left to the senior partner – if seven games can constitute senior – to provide the early impetus with a flurry of cleanly struck boundaries.
When he departed in the eighth over unnecessarily walking across his stumps to Steven Patterson, his 35 dwarfed Keogh's four.
Keogh just extended it to double figures before a miscue from the same bowler found short midwicket.
Alex Wakely got himself in and then got himself out, a habit he has mastered in recent weeks, when he top-edged Adil Rashid to short fine-leg with the score on 75.
David Sales and Rob White, who only got his chance because of Stephen Peters' absence, advanced the score to 117 before the former was hit in front by Richard Pyrah.
And when Hall was yorked by Tim Bresnan just as he was threatening to up a gear, there was the chance that any momentum could be halted.
White continued to make the most of his good fortune as he powered on to typically forthright half-century.
But his departure, quickly followed by that of Monday's batting saviour James Middlebrook, denied the hosts a late flourish.
A target of a fraction above five an over wouldn't have unduly concerned the visitors, but their outlook will have altered somewhat after half a dozen overs of their reply when Jack Brooks reduced them to a sickly 10 for two.
Andrew Gale was the first to go when he picked out Keogh at deep square and Adam Lyth joined him for an early shower when an excellent over concluded with a thin edge behind.
Twelve overs of powerplay mustered a relatively paltry 37. However, Jacques Rudolph and McGrath accelerated to the point where marginally over a run-a-ball was required.
A piece of good fortune saw Tom Brett get rid of Rudolph as a deflection off pad was adjudged to be an edge down the leg-side and the return of Brooks saw off Gerard Brophy just as he was beginning to look dangerous.
The experienced McGrath was the key for the Tykes.
And although he fell to a Hall yorker, shortly after Jonathan Bairstow had found long-on off Lee Daggett, he had done enough to settle the issue.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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