A Craig White hat-trick won this National League match for the Yorkshire Phoenix
Neil Whitaker18-Jun-2000A Craig White hat-trick won this National League match for the Yorkshire Phoenix. When the Kent Spitfires started the 42nd over they required 30 from four overs and it looked like the Spitfires would win the match.The Spitfires captain Matthew Fleming hit the first ball for a four. The next ball he tried to steer the ball over point but Michael Vaughan held on to a vital catch. In came Min Patel but he was trapped leg before to White. Next man David Masters suffered the same fate. The Spitfires who had started the over on 134 for six finished the over on 138 for nine. Paul Nixon managed to get a single off Silverwood, but the next ball the former England paceman bowled last man Kristian Adams for a duck. The Phoenix were home by 24 runs.However it looked at one stage that the Spitfires would win this match easily. They had restricted the Phoenix to 44 for five after 12 overs. Opening bowlers Mark Ealham and Adams had taken two wickets each and the fifth was a run out, when White attempted a third run and was beaten by a throw from Fleming.Then it was left to the left handers Byas and Gavin Hamilton to hold the Phoenix innings together which they did. They pair scored 51 in 18 overs. Hamilton had scored 21 when he was caught down the legside by Nixon off Patel. James Middebrook was the next man and with Byas put on 30 for the seventh wicket before he was stumped by Nixon off Patel.Chris Silverwood hit a six off Patel, but Patel had his revenge when he caught Silverwood off Fleming’s bowling. David Byas was the ninth man out in the final over when he caught by Matthew Walker off Ealham for 52. He hit five fours, received 93 balls and his innings lasted 122 minutes. Sidebottom and Hoggard took the Phoenix to 163 in their 45 overs.The Phoenix opener Gary Fellows hit the first ball from Ealham for a four. He hit the third ball for a four as well and it looked as if the Phoenix would get a huge score. But Fellows was bowled by Ealham when he pitched the ball up to Fellows. Michael Vaughan made nine before he was caught by Dravid at short mid off. Darren Lehmann was only two when he was caught down the leg side by Nixon off Adams. Blakey scored ten when he became Nixon’s second victim of the day off Ealham. At that stage it looked as if the flags at Headingley were flying at half-mast for the Phoenix.When the Spitfires batted they got off to a bad start. David Fulton played on to Silverwood’s third ball for a duck. His partner Robert Key lasted until the seventh over and then he too played on to Silverwood for no score. What the Spitfires needed to win this match was partnerships. They got one from Walker and the Indian batsman Rahul Dravid. The pair added 47 for the third wicket in 15 overs in a safe and unspectacular style.Walker was leg before to James Middlebrook for 18. Alan Wells and Ealham scored nine between them. They were both bowled by Middlebrook. Dravid was the next man out when he was leg before to Hoggard one shot off 50. His patient knock came from 88 balls and he only hit three fours. Fleming and Nixon hit 41 in nine overs and looked to be seeing the Spitfires home before that Craig White eighth over.