Yorkshire take silverware

28 March 2008

Greg Wood © Getty Images

Yorkshire won the inaugural Pro Arabian Cricket Challenge after a rapid run-chase against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

Having dismissed the UAE for 190 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Yorkshire needed to overhaul the target inside 25 overs to triumph in the pre-season tournament, and were victorious with four wickets and five balls to spare.

They pipped Lancashire and Somerset on run-rate in the process, having inflicted defeats on both, as each of the three counties finished with three wins and a loss.

Yorkshire could have wrapped things up against Sussex on Wednesday but went down by nine runs.

Openers Andrew Gale and Greg Wood smashed their way to 50 inside five overs and added 94 for the first wicket.

The obligatory first 10 overs of fielding restrictions was not over when England Under-19 international Wood was caught and bowled by spinner Saqib Ali for a 35-ball 50.

Left-hander Gale struck 69 from 61 deliveries and, although three late wickets fell with fewer than a dozen runs required, Anthony McGrath’s side eased home to seal the Pro ARCH event.

Earlier, England one-day international Tim Bresnan picked up two wickets as he steps up his recovery from a stress fracture of the back.

But it was 19 overs of spin from leg-spinner Mark Lawson and left-armer David Wainwright, whose combined figures were 4-55, which put the brakes on after UAE cantered to 75 for one.

Scorecard - UAE v Yorkshire, Pro ARCH Trophy, March 28 2008 (80 KB)