England Test hopeful Harry Brook creamed three sixes and six fours as his unbroken 87-run fourth-wicket partnership with captain Joe Root (35* off 24) eased Yorkshire Vikings to a 173-run target with 11 balls remaining.
Chasing 173 for victory, Vikings found themselves at 88/3 in the 11th over as Harry Brook joined ex-England captain — and Yorkshires captain Joe Root. Skipper Joe Root made sure that the collapse did not happen, forming a partnership with Brook to take the game away from Worcestershire. While skipper Joe Root ended up scoring a not out 35 from only 24 balls, Brook was much more aggressive with his approach, smashing 60 off only 27 deliveries to steer Yorkshire to victory with 11 balls remaining. Brook continued Brooks incredible start to the season, scoring his ninth fifty, and Root was at his most prolific.
Jos Buttler Hits 56 Balls 89 In Vain, Puts His Name In Record Books
After the Rapids collapsed from 142 for three in the 16th over, losing six wickets for 30 and finishing at below-par 172 for 9, Dawid Malan (33) shared a 70-run opening partnership with Adam Lyth (42) to kick-start the chase of Joe Root-captained Vikings.
The Worcestershire Rapids were then unable to contain the tidy knock from Harry Brook (60 not out), who, supported by England Test captain Joe Root (35 not out), saw the Yorkshire Vikings win by 11 balls to spare. Exactly one week after being named in England Men’s Test team for June Tests against New Zealand, Harry Brook showed all of his class to guide Yorkshire Vikings to an opening-night win. Harry Brooks unbeaten 60 took 27 deliveries, his range of shots being picked out with precision, his dominance evident from the first ball he faced.
Jordan Thompson came back magnificently from conceding 22 from his first over, striking twice in his 16th over to end up three for 35 for an all-star Yorkshire line-up that included Malan, Joe Root-captain and Adil Rashid, as well as overseas Pakistani pair Haris Rafa and Shadab Khan. The presence of Englands two called-ups, Root and Brook, was just how it was supposed to be for a Blast match, reasonably enough; Shadab Khan was making his Test debut; and, perhaps most hearteningly, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was making his first appearance of this season following concussion suffered during the pre-season.