Report & Reaction: Yorkshire v Hampshire Men, Metro Bank One Day Cup Semi-Final

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Hampshire are through to next month’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final after a rain-affected semi-final win over Yorkshire at Scarborough, the visitors defending a revised 41-over target of 254 following Liam Dawson’s stunning List A best 142 off 116 balls.

Hampshire, winners of this competition in 2018, will face Worcestershire at Trent Bridge on September 20 after the Rapids beat Somerset at home and the visitors won here by 18 runs on Duckworth Lewis Stern.

In reply to Hampshire’s 304 for six, which saw England Test all-rounder Dawson brilliantly recover his side from 78 for four inside 20 overs, Pakistani opener Imam-Ul-Haq impressed for 105.

And Yorkshire were well placed at 171 for three in the 31st over chasing a revised 254-target in 41 overs following rain. 

But they lost two wickets in a Scott Currie over, including Imam run out, and Hampshire squeezed impressively, with the hosts 235 for eight.  

Currie, who struck twice with his seam, had earlier contributed his own List A best 61 not out off 40 balls. Dawson’s left-arm spin also accounted for two wickets, and Yorkshire have now lost 19 of their last 22 List A finals.

Yorkshire started well, Matt Milnes dominating as Hampshire slipped having been inserted.

Seamer Milnes, having claimed a career best seven for 38 in last Sunday’s group-stage win over Sussex at Hove, claimed the first three here, including forcing visiting captain Nick Gubbins to play on with his third ball in the day’s second over.

He then removed Fletcha Middleton and Ali Orr before George Hill’s seam also forced Ben Brown to play on. 

Dawson came in at 53 for three in the 12th over and offered a sharp return catch to Ben Cliff on six, clearly a key moment. 

The 35-year-old was the glue which held the innings together before exploding late on.

He shared 89 for the fifth wicket with 17-year-old Ben Mayes, whose 37 helped to turn the tide, before sixth-wicket partner Currie pressed the accelerator. 

Shortly after Dawson reached his fourth List A century off 103 balls, Currie’s maiden List A fifty came in 35 as Hampshire pushed on from 180 for five after 40 overs. 

Dawson finished with seven sixes and hit strongly down the ground and over cover and long-on, while both he and Currie improvised as they shared 136 inside the last 13 overs of the innings. 

Seventy five runs came off the last five overs.

Kyle Abbott and Brad Wheal then bowled very tidily with the new ball, restricting Adam Lyth and Imam to 43-0 in the 13th over when the rain arrived.

A half-hour delay through to 4.25pm was followed by Lyth edging the second ball back behind off Eddie Jack - 47 for one.

Imam, leaving for national commitments after this game, then calmly advanced the hosts to 98 for one after 20 overs with a 52-ball fifty.

Strong off his legs, the left-hander then united with Will Luxton to share 99.

Luxton pulled a couple of sixes, including one the first ball back after the second half-hour rain break. But he chopped on to Jack with the second, falling for 30 - 146 for two in the 28th over.

James Wharton holed out to Currie shortly afterwards before Imam reached his fourth ton of this season’s campaign off 96 balls. 

But Wharton and Imam fell, alongside Fin Bean, as Yorkshire lost a defining three wickets for 10 inside two overs to slip to 171 for five in the 32nd, still needing 83.

Imam was run out by a combination of Jack from midwicket and bowler Currie after Bean pulled and non-striker Imam slipped.

Yorkshire then lost Hill and Harry Duke in successive balls to Wheal and Dawson and, seven wickets down, needed 47 off 4.5 overs.