Vitality Blast round-up: Lancashire edge Yorkshire in last-ball thriller as Birmingham Bears and Surrey march on | Cricket News

Lancashire beat Yorkshire by four runs in Roses thriller as Tom Hartley claims vital last-ball catch on boundary; Birmingham Bears also flying high in North Group in Vitality Blast after win at Durham; Will Jacks and Jason Roy star as Surrey brush aside Sussex Sharks

Richard Gleeson struck twice in a telling 18th over as Lancashire, defending 214, took a giant step towards the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a thrilling four-run win over Roses rivals Yorkshire at Headingley that went down to the final ball.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed 77 off 43 balls from No 3, and the Vikings were in control at 184-4 in the 17th over before losing three wickets in eight balls, including David Willey for 52, caught and bowled by Gleeson (2-37) who conceded only five from it and struck twice.

Luke Wood then conceded just four in the penultimate set of six, leaving Danny Lamb defending 17 off the last.

That became five off the last ball with Dominic Drakes on strike, and he carved out to the deep backward point boundary, where Tom Hartley, who had bowling figures of 2-21, took a superb catch which had to be reviewed as the 11,300 crowd went silent thinking he may have stepped on the rope.

Yorkshire finished on 209-8 as Lancashire, for whom Liam Livingstone made only two in their 213-5, strengthened top spot in the North Group with a sixth win in seven games.

Singapore international Tim David crashed 66 off 32 balls, including six sixes, to push the Lightning beyond 200 having stuttered to 100-4 in the 12th over.

Kohler-Cadmore was not in Yorkshire’s initial squad and became a late inclusion alongside Dawid Malan, who fell to Livingstone (1-40) for a golden duck when he was caught by David, after Finn Allen was ruled out with Covid-19 and Harry Brook joined England’s Test squad earlier than expected.

Birmingham Bears eased past Durham in their Vitality Blast clash at Seat Unique Riverside by six wickets, securing their fifth win of the season to strengthen their position in the North Group.

Alex Davies led the way for the visitors with a knock of 49 to provide the anchor for their chase of 142, which they managed comfortably with 12 balls to spare as Adam Hose (28no) played a useful cameo to see the Bears over the line.

Durham were made to rue a poor start with the bat that limited their ability to set an imposing total.

A half-century from Ben Raine (51no) papered over the cracks in a score of 141-7 as Craig Miles claimed 3-29 to play a significant role in deciding the outcome of the contest.

Will Jacks and Jason Roy both hit sparkling half-centuries as South Group leaders Surrey stretched their unbeaten start to the Vitality Blast campaign to six matches by crushing Sussex Sharks by seven wickets at the Kia Oval.

Middlesex vs Surrey

June 9, 2022, 6:00pm

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A crowd of 15,000 saw Jacks add a 37-ball 57 to an earlier wicket and astonishing boundary catch as Surrey easily chased down Sussex’s 146-7, in which Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-scored for the visitors with a 49 not out from 44 balls that anchored the innings but provided no real forward thrust.

Jacks and Roy, who made 50 from 41 balls, put on 110 in just 12.3 overs for the first wicket, although Surrey then lost three wickets in six balls before Kieron Pollard (23no) saw them home.

There were still 3.3 overs remaining when Surrey, who are now three points clear at the top of the table, reached 147-3 in reply, outclassing a Sharks side who have now lost four of their opening seven Blast fixtures.

Watch Middlesex vs Surrey live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm on Thursday.