Yorkshire took a pounding from Northamptonshire's batsman in their NatWest Trophy fourth round match at Wantage Road today after the home side had chosen to bat first in overcast conditions and on a slow pitch.
Gavin Hamilton managed to curb Northamptonshire's progress for a while with a couple of wickets, but they recovered and were 130 for two with 30 of 50 overs gone.
There was a flurry of early boundaries for both Adrian Rollins and Mal Loye as neither Darren Gough nor Chris Silverwood was able to make much impact with the new ball.
Silverwood was particularly disappointing and Gough was out of luck when Rollings got a thick edge and the ball just missed his off-stump as it sped to the fence.
It was certainly not the start Yorkshire were looking for and Loye found the boundary again with a strong cut off Silverwood, who in his next over was pulled to the mid-wicket fence by Rollins.
Craig White came on for Gough but he was straight away clipped to square leg for another four.
Hamilton replaced Silverwood but nothing could stop Northants' progress and Loye hurried into the 20s with a back foot cover four off White and a mid-wicket boundary at Hamilton's expense.
Things were starting to get out of control when Rollins attempted to pull Hamilton but the ball kept low and trapped him lbw.
Then, in his next over, Hamilton struck again with another lbw decision as Loye missed a slower ball with his defensive push.
Hamilton's double strike was exactly what Yorkshire needed but skipper Matthew Hayden and David Sales quickly regained the initiative for Northants, the third wicket pair rushing to a 50 stand in only seven overs.
White and James Middlebrook were the bowlers to suffer with the England all-rounder being struck for three fours in an over before Sales launched his assault on the off-spinner.
Sales began it by sweeping him for six out of the ground and when another ball was brought into play, the batsman whipped it through mid-wicket for four, a total of 16 runs coming off the over.
After being slammed for 23 off two overs, Middlebrook had to be withdrawn from the attack and Gough brought back as Yorkshire tried to get a grip on the situation.
SCOREBOARD
Northamptonshire v Yorkshire
at Northampton
Northamptonshire Innings
Rollins lbw b Hamilton 20
Loye lbw b Hamilton 24
Hayden not out 32
Sales not out 46
Extras w1 8
Total 2 wkts (30.3 overs) 130
Fall: 1-48 2-51
Today's matches
NatWest Trophy
Fourth round, Riverside: Durham 52-4 (26.4 overs) v Hampshire; Canterbury: Kent v Glamorgan - start delayed due to rain; Old Trafford: Lancashire 128-0 (31.4 overs) v Essex; Leicester: Leicestershire v Gloucestershire 99-3 (29 overs); Southgate: Middlesex v Somerset - start delayed due to rain; The Oval: Surrey v Sussex - start delayed due to rain; Edgbaston: Warwickshire 133-2 (27.3 overs) v Derbyshire.
Singer Cup
Galle (1 day, 45 overs): Sri Lanka 166-5 (Atatpattu 62) beat Pakistan 164-8 (Inzamam Ul-Haq 83no, Zoysa 4-34) by five wickets
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