Yorkshire 244 for 7 (Wharton 73, Masood 58, Bess 53) defeated Essex 243 for 9 (Benkenstein 68, Das 67, Coad 3-41, Cliff 3-54) by three wickets
Dom Bess' composed List A career-best unbeaten 53 guided Yorkshire to a vital victory in a thrilling Metro Bank One-Day Cup match against Essex, as they successfully chased down 244 to win by three wickets at Scarborough, keeping their qualification hopes alive.
Both teams faced challenges with the bat on a competitive pitch. The Vikings slipped from 102 for 2 to 184 for 7, losing Shan Masood for 58 and James Wharton for a career-best 71 off 89 balls. Shane Snater took three crucial wickets for Essex, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their fourth loss in five Group B matches.
Essex, after being put in to bat, were initially in trouble at 27 for 3. Robin Das and Luc Benkenstein then steadied the innings with scores of 67 off 92 balls and 68 off 94 balls respectively, leading Essex to 243 for 9. Yorkshire’s Ben Coad and Ben Cliff each claimed three wickets. Coad also contributed an important 26 not out in an eighth-wicket stand of 60 with Bess, who hit six fours in his 55-ball innings.
Essex's innings started poorly when opener Feroze Khushi was dismissed by Cliff in the fourth over. More wickets followed as Nick Browne miscued a shot to midwicket off Coad and captain Tom Westley edged Cliff to point. Das and Benkenstein then cautiously rebuilt the innings, with Das reaching his fifty off 67 balls and Benkenstein off 71. Essex was 150 for 3 in the 32nd over when Das was caught at deep cover off Matthew Revis, ending a 125-run partnership.
Essex then lost four wickets for just five runs in 12 balls, with Dan Moriarty, Coad, and Cliff all taking key wickets. Benkenstein was caught at wide mid-on during this collapse, leaving Essex at 190 for 8 in the 42nd over. Ben Allison’s unbeaten 27 helped Essex to a total of 243 for 9.
In Yorkshire's reply, they stumbled early, losing two wickets for 18 runs in seven overs. Snater dismissed Harry Duke, caught at second slip by Noah Thain, and Fin Bean, caught at mid-on. Masood and Wharton then added 84 runs, steadying the innings with a mix of composure and aggression. Masood reached his fifty off 46 balls, while Wharton hit a six off Aaron Beard.
However, the game swung again as Yorkshire lost four wickets for 21 runs, including Masood, falling to 123 for 6 in the 31st over. Westley’s off-spin trapped Masood lbw and had Will Luxton caught at cover, while Snater bowled George Hill and Thain removed Revis.
Wharton kept Yorkshire’s hopes alive with two sixes in his 79-ball fifty, but he was caught at mid-on by Browne, reducing Yorkshire to 184 for 7 in the 40th over. Bess then anchored the innings, sharing a 61-run partnership with Coad and guiding Yorkshire to victory with a boundary off Allison to reach his fifty.
This win moves Yorkshire closer to qualifying for the knockout stages, while Essex faces an uphill battle after another defeat. Both teams observed a minute's silence and wore black armbands in memory of Graham Thorpe, the beloved England and Surrey cricketer.