Yorkshire v Leicestershire (Friends Provident Trophy)

John Sadler played a big part in Yorkshire losing their first match of the season when they went down by six wickets to Leicestershire in the Friends Provident Trophy at Headingley Carnegie yesterday.

The former Yorkshire Academy product helped his side chase down a formidable 283 target and he was still there at the close with a dashing 59 off 41 deliveries with eight fours and a six.

Sadler took part in an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 96 in 12 overs with England one-day wicket-keeper, Paul Nixon, the pair seeing Leicestershire home with 16 balls remaining.

It was a disappointing performance by Yorkshire's bowlers. The Tykes must have thought they were on the road to a third consecutive win in the competition after reaching 282 for eight, Jacques Rudolph, hitting his maiden Yorkshire one-day ton.

And things continued to go their way as Tom New was caught behind off Jason Gillespie and Darren Robinson was bowled by Darren Gough with Leicestershire on 34 for two.

But former Blackhall pro Hylton Ackerman and Jim Allenby, once of Brandon, who had already claimed three wickets for 44 runs, mastered the bowling with some spirited hitting in a stand of 131 in 20 overs during which Allenby blasted his way to 50 off 40 balls.

Tim Bresnan soaked up some punishment and Steven Patterson bowled untidily, conceding 32 runs from four overs before being taken out of the attack.

The introduction of Richard Pyrah's medium pacers temporarily halted Leicestershire's progress and he accounted for Ackerman (66) and Allenby (84) .

Pyrah was taken off after taking two for 15 from fove overs but nobody else caused the same problems as Nixon and Sadler made the game safe for Leicestershire.

Sadler was the dominant force, smacking two boundaries off Bresnan, and when Patterson was brought back he banged his first two deliveries through mid-off to end the match.

Rudolph's well-paced century allowed Yorkshire to progress to what should have been a winning score.

Early on, however, it was Gerard Brophy who got things moving, helping himself to another four off the South African with an audacious spooned shot down to long leg while on one knee.

Brophy's dashed to 36 off only 22 balls with seven fours when he tried to hoist Allenby over the mid-wicket boundary and was caught by Nick Walker.

Rudolph and Anthony McGrath added 52 together before Allenby trapped McGrath lbw with one which kept low.

New batsman, Younus Khan, was generously applauded in appreciation of his epic performance in the Championship match at the Rose Bowl, but it was not to be his day on this occasion because the Pakistani smacked a long hop to Walker on the mid-wicket boundary to bring Allenby his third wicket.

Rudolph, meanwhile, kept moving smoothly on and he cantered to his century off 132 balls with ten boundaries. The next ball he received, however, from Walker, he hit straight into the air and Ackerman waited patiently for the catch.

Bresnan provided the late acceleration with a rapid 32 not out from just 21 balls with three fours and a six.

SCORECARD

Yorkshire v Leicestershire at Headingley Carnegie.

Yorkshire Innings
J A Rudolph c Ackerman b Cummins 100
C White c Nixon b Langeveldt 11
G L Brophy c Walker b Allenby 36
A McGrath lbw b Allenby 20
Younis Khan c Walker b Allenby 8
A W Gale c Nixon b Sadler 17
R M Pyrah c Allenby b Walker 14
T T Bresnan not out 32
D Gough c Nixon b Langeveldt 8
J N Gillespie not out 15
Extras (b4 lb10 w7 pens 0) 21
Total 8 wkts Innings Complete
(50 overs) 282
Fall: 1-24 2-66 3-119 4-141 5-183 6-207 7-
229 8-256. Did Not Bat: S A Patterson.
Bowling: Walker 8-1-45-1. Langeveldt 10-1-53-
2. Rowe 6-0-48-0. Allenby 10-1-44-3. Cummins
8-0-45-1. Sadler 8-0-33-1.

Leicestershire Innings
T J New c Brophy b Gillespie 10
D D Robinson b Gough 15
H D Ackerman c Younis Khan b Pyrah 66
J Allenby c White b Pyrah 84
P A Nixon not out 42
J L Sadler not out 59
Extras (b1 lb3 w2 nb2 pens 0) 8
Total 4 wkts (47.2 overs) 284
Fall: 1-22 2-34 3-165 4-188
Did Not Bat: M C Rosenberg, C K Langeveldt,
D T Rowe, R A G Cummins, N G E Walker.
Bowling: Gillespie 10-0-48-1. Gough 9-1-40-1.
Bresnan 9-0-69-0. Patterson 4.2-0-40-0. Younis
Khan 4-0-32-0. McGrath 6-0-36-0. Pyrah 5-1-15-
2.

Leicestershire beat Yorkshire by 6 wickets