Bresnan stars as Yorkshire prevail

20 June 2008

Andrew Flintoff trudges back to the dug-out as Tim Bresnan strikes again

Andrew Flintoff was out for a first-ball duck on his latest return from injury as his Lancashire Lightning side lost their Twenty20 Cup Roses clash by four runs at Old Trafford tonight.

Flintoff, who has not played a first team game since May 9 because of a left side strain, was lbw to Tim Bresnan for his third first-ball duck of the season and his fourth duck in all.

It was the 30 year-old’s third first team duck in succession this season and his second first baller in three innings.

Flintoff was given out by umpire Barry Duddleston as the ball hit him on the knee roll playing to the leg side.

The England all-rounder had hit 56 for Lancashire Second XI against Durham yesterday, but did not bowl in this match as a precaution.

Lancashire were reduced to 20 for three in reply to Yorkshire Carnegie’s 135 for eight, thanks to two wickets for the excellent Bresnan (2-12) and one for England bowler Matthew Hoggard.

Francois Du Plessis (42) and Steven Croft (29) shared in a third wicket partnership of 68 that looked to have tipped the game in the home side’s favour.

But the pair went in consecutive overs to Adil Rashid and Darren Gough (2-31) to conclusively turn the game.

Kyle Hogg blasted two sixes in a nine-ball 22 but Lancashire’s task of 44 from four overs, 35 from three, 23 from two and 12 off the last proved too much.

Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat but their shoddy running almost gave a terminal end to their innings.

Left-hander Andrew Gale was run out from backward point by Du Plessis after just three balls, while Gerard Brophy was nearly sent on his way by a direct hit from Gary Keedy the very next ball.

Michael Vaughan was then bowled by pace bowler Sajid Mahmood, chopping a ball onto his middle stump for nought in the second over.

Sajid Mahmood enjoys Michael Vaughan's wicket after the England captain played on for nought

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Brophy and Anthony McGrath then recovered to eight for two in the second over with a flurry of boundaries in a useful third-wicket partnership of 59 in eight overs.

Brophy was the aggressor, hitting seven fours in a 36-ball knock of 44 that actually equalled his second highest score in this competition.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper was finally caught behind by Gareth Cross off the bowling of left-arm spinner Keedy to leave the score at 70 for three at the end of the 10th over.

McGrath, who had top scored in all five of Yorkshire’s previous games, followed in the 13th over when he was caught at long on off the bowling of Steven Croft for 25 off 26 balls.

That left former South Africa international Jacques Rudolph, 23 from 15 balls, charged with leading another recovery from 85 for four.

But the left-hander was one of two wickets to fall in the 16th over to Simon Marshall (3-11) as Flintoff completed the dismissal courtesy of a fine sliding catch on the square leg boundary.

Marshall, who got Simon Guy in the same over, also removed Rich Pyrah in the last over after Glen Chapple had snaffled Adil Rashid.

Yorkshire have now won four out of their six North Division games.