9:40pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Graham Hardcastle
Yorkshire followed up a good day of bowling with a good day of batting as they finished their two-day friendly against Derbyshire in Barbados well on top.
The White Rose county had bowled the Peakites out for just 185 at the 3 Ws Oval on Wednesday, thanks in the main to five wickets for teenage off-spinner Azeem Rafiq.
Yesterday it was their turn to bat, and they sailed beyond Derbyshire’s score with an encouraging 158-ball 72 from former captain Anthony McGrath and 69 not out for Adil Rashid. They closed on 301-6.
McGrath, who was replaced by Andrew Gale in October after a turbulent season in charge, shared an encouraging third wicket partnership of 89 with his new skipper on the way to 72.
Adam Lyth and Joe Sayers fell in the morning session for 26 and 32 respectively. Sayers was the victim of a spectacular one-handed catch by Mark Footitt at long-leg after the left-hander had tried to hook seamer Tom Lungley.
McGrath and Gale came together with the score at 78-2 shortly before the lunch break, and the former eased an elegant straight six into the road circulating the ground off the gentle spin of Greg Smith.
Left-handed Gale was trapped lbw by the off-spin of Dan Redfern for 39 to leave the score at 167-3 in the 62nd over.
McGrath, whose total of 825 Championships runs last season included 211 of them in one innings, looked relaxed at the crease until he retired out after facing 158 balls.
Jonny Bairstow was Yorkshire’s fifth wicket to fall after the tea break when he was Redfern’s second victim, and his second lbw, for only ten.
But it gave Rashid the chance to provide the locals and travelling supporters some late entertainment - and warm up for the Twenty20s tomorrow and Sunday - with five fours and four sixes in an 85-ball knock.
Gary Ballance was trapped lbw by Redfern with the last ball of the match for 38. Redfern finished with figures of 3-44.
Yorkshire play a University of the West Indies XI in the first of a possible three Twenty20 matches at the Kensington Oval tomorrow. A win would move them through to Finals Day on Sunday.
Meanwhile, captain Gale hailed the five-wicket performance of Rafiq on day one. The 19 year-old claimed figures of 5-21 from 20 overs.
Gale said: “He showed good maturity, and bowled with a lot more of it than I’ve ever seen before. For a finger spinner, he bowled with a really attacking line.”
Rafiq, the England under 19s skipper, bowled in tandem with leggie Rashid for large parts, and picked up the wickets of Lee Goddard, Redfern, Jake Needham, Paul Borrington and Tim Groenewald.
He added: “I’m really happy. It was really good to get some overs under my belt.
“To get a five-for is great. I know it’s only a pre-season game, but a five-for’s a five-for. I loved it, and I’d rather bowl a 20-over spell than a five-over spell.”
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