If it comes off, you win

Yorkshire Vikings 223-6
beat Durham Jets 174-8
by 49 runs

Wednesday 20 July 2016

T20 Blast North Group

Played at Headingley

Twitter @ball_sup

Gillespie/Gale Gunslinger Gauge - steady at THREE. Willey, Head, Hodd.

Pre match drink in the reliably superb Arcadia. On Roosters/Bronx Brewery, Ida Rivera’s Mulitcultural IPA on keg at 6.5%.

A serious beer that. (At a serious price). Tan brown in the glass. Powerful sweet smell. Like putting your head into a jar of boiled sweets. Very sweet in the mouth at first. But, pleasantly so. Very quickly gives way as a swirling bitterness grabs you.

There's a fruitiness I can't place. Maybe some orange. The barman is saying Tea involved.

I'm living proof that you can just about do T20 under lights at Headingley from Sheffield on the train. The Sky TV 6:30 starts have a nominal finish time of 2115. That gives you plenty of time for the 2237 Leeds/Sheffield Rattler. To get back just after midnight. Not for the faint hearted though.

Friday nights. 7pm starts. Bigger crowds. Weekend drinkers. That's a whole different group of Lads with cans of Stella on the train situation mind.

Anyway. I even had time for a post match celebratory bevvy. In the I'd forgotten just how great a range of beer they have Tapped Leeds. I had a lovely swill of Sierra Nevada, 11.5 Plato on keg at 4.5%. No tasting notes. Sorry, I had to be on the 2237.

Man Crush Klaxon. First time I've seen the back from the wilderness Azeem Rafiq. Welcome home Son. One of my favourite cricketers. Since Chelmsford. Single handed. Hope it works out.

Didn't bat. Four overs. Two for 27. Took a catch off Willey. In the game. Natch.

Look, you're gonna win T20 games if you play like that. It's an if it comes off game. Lyth came off. You've got to pepper the ropes in the first few overs. Lyth (87 off 54) & Willey (32 off 14) did. That allows cameos. Leaning 32 off 11. Head 34 off 24.

And then the immense scoreboard pressure means a Bowler might come off. Plunkett one for 13 off his four. Ridiculous. He took a great tumbling catch off Rafiq as well.

334/729