Malan blitz sinks Lancashire Lightning in Roses T20 at Headingley
England white ball captain Jos Buttler made just one off two balls in his first appearance of the summer as Lancashire were stunned by Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast Roses clash at Headingley, the Vikings winning by 15 runs.
After international colleague Dawid Malan celebrated his 300th T20 career appearance with a superb 83 off 50 balls in Yorkshire’s 195 for six, Buttler was caught at mid-off against the off-spin of Dom Bess seven balls into Lancashire’s pursuit.
A sellout 16,000 crowd - a number of whom missed the start due to traffic issues - saw Yorkshire win only their second game of the season and their second Roses game since the start of 2018. The Lightning finished on 180 for eight, with Ben Mike and Dawid Wiese each claiming two for 31.
While New Zealander Colin de Grandhomme claimed three for 24 from four overs of skilful seam for Lancashire, Malan came into this fixture on the back of an unbeaten 95 in Tuesday’s win over Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Despite nearing 200, the Vikings actually felt they were light with the bat on a typically excellent Headingley surface: “We left a few runs out there,” said Malan as he spoke to Sky Sports mid-innings having hit eight fours and four sixes.
Having been inserted, Yorkshire made a fine start in the powerplay, reaching 59 without loss after six overs.
That included 17 in the first over as Adam Lyth took left-arm quick Luke Wood for four boundaries in as many balls to end the over.
Malan then took the lead role, pulling the same bowler over long-leg for the first six of the evening.
By the time Malan reached his fifty, off 33 balls, Yorkshire were 83 without loss in the ninth over with Lyth on 27.
Lyth fell for 32, caught at deep midwicket by Tom Hartley off de Grandhomme’s first ball in the 10th over - 88 for one.
De Grandhomme helped the Lightning drag things back.
Despite seeing Malan dropped on 63 at short fine-leg by Matthew Parkinson, he had Will Luxton caught at deep square-leg next ball - 106 for two in the 12th.
Malan hit a couple more sixes before he fell caught at wide long-off by Phil Salt off Liam Livingstone as the Vikings reached the 15-over mark at 139 for three.
De Grandhomme claimed his third wicket, a replica of his first - the Lyth dismissal, when Shan Masood found safe hands Hartley, and with two overs remaining the Vikings were 172 for four.
De Grandhomme’s fellow Kiwi Daryl Mitchell then struck twice in the final over, as Yorkshire fell just short of 200.
Yorkshire then set about defending their target, and they did so with significant success.
That started with Buttler miscuing Bess’s first ball to mid-off as the score fell to four for one in the second over.
Steven Croft and Luke Wells played aggressive cameos - 22 and 21 respectively - inside the powerplay to keep Lancashire hopes alive.
But they both holed out to Jordan Thompson and Mike, the seamer who also had Phil Salt caught and bowled as the score fell to 64 for four in the seventh.
Despite wickets tumbling, this game was nowhere near over given Lancashire’s seven-strong international contingent in this fixture. Mitchell and captain Livingstone were still huge dangers.
Mitchell holed out to long-on off fledgling leg-spinner Jafer Chohan in the 12th over, and Lancashire still needed 99 at 97 for five in the 12th over.
But when Livingstone top-edged Wiese behind in the next, falling for 15 - 101 for six in the 13th - it really did feel like game over. So it proved.
A career best 39 from Hartley threatened that theory briefly, but Yorkshire held their nerve as Wiese struck again, Hartley was run out and Thompson defended 34 off the last over from 162 for eight.
Report by ECB Reporters Network