Match shuru hote hi Yorkshire ke batsmen ne aisa prahaar kiya ki Leicestershire ke bowlers bas dekhte reh gaye. Dawid Malan, jo ki team ke kaptaan bhi hain, ne ek baar phir apni class dikhayi aur is match mein ek itihasik milestone haasil kiya – unhone T20 cricket mein apne 10,000 run poore kiye. Lekin yeh jeet Leicestershire ke liye ek aur haar ka nishaan bhi ban gayi.
Malan ne shuruaat mein thodi sambhalkar batting ki, lekin jab unhone apna rhythm pakda, to bowlers ke liye koi jawab nahi bacha. Ek shandaar six ke saath unhone apne 10,000 T20 runs poore kiye, jo ek bada mauka tha na sirf unke liye balki Yorkshire ke fans ke liye bhi. @YorkshireCCC ne X par is baat ka jashn manaya, jab unhone likha, “Dawid Malan has just reached 10,000 T20 career runs with a six over cover.” Yeh pal unke career ka ek sunehra lamha tha, kyunki aisa karne wale woh pehle Yorkshire batsman hain. Malan ne 88 run banaye, aur unke saath William Luxton ne bhi 62 run ki shandaar inning kheli. Dono ne mil kar ek 100-run se zyada ki partnership banayi, jo match ka turning point raha. @leicsccc ne X par is partnership ko todne ki baat ki, lekin koi faayda nahi hua: “Yorkshire duo Malan and Luxton have accrued a fifty partnership. The Foxes need to break this stand.”
Yorkshire ne 213/7 ka score khada kiya, jahan Malan aur Luxton ke alawa Jordan Thompson ne bhi 25 runs ka quick contribution diya. Yeh score Leicestershire ke liye ek bada target tha, aur unke bowlers – jinke bare mein @Ashleypp1986 ne X par likha, “Pretty woeful bowling display from the foxes!” – bilkul bebas nazar aaye. Leicestershire ke bowlers mein koi dam nahi dikha, aur Yorkshire ke batsmen ne unki har strategy ko nakaam kar diya. Malan ki yeh inning unke international career ke shandaar record ki yaad dilati hai, jab unhone 2022 T20 World Cup mein England ke liye key role play kiya tha aur ICC T20 batting rankings mein top par rahe the.,
Ab baat Leicestershire ke chase ki. Unki batting line-up kabhi bhi Yorkshire ke bowlers ke saamne tik nahi payi. Matthew Revis aur Jordan Thompson ke saamne unke batsmen struggle karte dikhe, aur jaldi hi wickets girne shuru ho gaye. Leicestershire ke liye yeh match ek aur disappointing performance tha, jaise ki pichle saal 2024 mein Yorkshire ke khilaaf unka draw match, jahan Harry Brook ne ek shandaar century banayi thi. Us match mein bhi Leicestershire ke bowlers ko struggle karna pada tha, aur yeh T20 match bhi usi kahani ka ek aur chapter laga.
Lekin is match ka highlight sirf Malan ka milestone nahi tha. William Luxton ka 62 run ka contribution bhi kabil-e-tareef tha. Luxton, jo ek young talent hain, ne dikhaya ki woh bade stage par bhi perform kar sakte hain. Unki yeh inning thodi si yaad dilati hai Joe Root ki shuruaati T20 innings ki, jab woh Yorkshire ke liye apna naam bana rahe the. Malan aur Luxton ki partnership ne Headingley ke fans ko jashn manane ka mauka diya, aur @YPSport ne X par is jeet ko “Yorkshire belatedly get off the mark in T20” ke roop mein celebrate kiya. Yeh jeet Yorkshire ke liye ek nayi shuruaat ki tarah thi, jo pichle kuch matches mein struggle kar rahe the.
Headingley ka yeh match ek taraf se Yorkshire ke liye ek bada celebration tha, kyunki Malan jaise experienced player aur Luxton jaise naye talent ne saath milkar team ko ek shandaar jeet dilayi. Yeh pal yaad dilata hai 2012 ke T20 Blast ke us finals ka, jahan Yorkshire finals tak pahuncha tha, lekin haar gaya tha. Malan, jo ab Yorkshire ke T20 kaptaan hain, shayad is baar team ko us trophy tak le jaayein, jise woh 2008 mein Middlesex ke saath jeet chuke hain.
Lekin Leicestershire ke liye yeh match ek aur yaadgaar haar thi. Unki team mein ab bhi wahi purani kamzoriyan dikhti hain – bowling mein consistency ki kami aur batting mein bade scores ko chase karne mein nakami. @Ashleypp1986 ne X par bilkul sahi likha, “There’s no chance we are chasing this down!” Leicestershire ko ab apni strategy pe dobara sochna hoga, kyunki aise performances unhe tournament mein aage nahi le jayenge. Yorkshire ke liye yeh jeet ek nayi ummeed hai, lekin Leicestershire ke liye yeh ek aur kadwa such hai ki unhe apne game mein abhi bahut sudhaar karna hai.
