One-Day Cup: Klinger ton sinks Yorkshire as Glos reach final

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Michael KlingerImage source, PA
Image caption,

Michael Klinger has eight tons this summer - three in the One-Day Cup, three in T20 and two in the Championship

Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final, Headingley

Yorkshire 263-9 (50 overs): Lyth 96, Bairstow 34; Howell 3-37

Gloucestershire 267-2 (46.5 overs): Klinger 137 not out, Marshall 78 not out

Gloucestershire won by eight wickets

Michael Klinger's unbeaten century led Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket win over Yorkshire in their One-Day Cup semi-final at Headingley.

The 35-year-old hit 137 off 145 balls and shared an unbroken 177-run third-wicket stand with Hamish Marshall (78).

England opener Adam Lyth made a superb 96 for Yorkshire, but they were limited to 263-9 as Benny Howell claimed 3-37.

Klinger and Marshall were rarely troubled during the run-chase and saw their side home with 19 balls to spare.

Lyth put his Ashes woes behind in a brilliant attacking innings, which included 10 fours and a six, which was in stark contrast to that of his Yorkshire opening partner Alex Lees, who struggled to find the middle of the bat.

Image source, Getty Images
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Lyth has scored just one List A century in 86 matches, scoring 109 not out against Sussex in 2009

Gloucestershire were not flawless in the field with three difficult chances going down, and a comical dropped catch by Liam Norwell off his own bowling looked like it might be a turning point.

Jonny Bairstow was the man reprieved as Norwell grounded the ball as he looked to throw it up in celebration having taken a simple return catch.

However, the England Test player - who was later called up for the three remaining one-day internationals against Australia - failed to make the most of his let-off as 23-year-old Norwell trapped him lbw in his next over.

After racing to 168-3 from their first 30 overs, the Vikings innings stuttered as they managed just 95 runs from their last 20 and lost six wickets in the process.

Supreme Klinger continues to shine

Michael Klinger became the second Gloucestershire player in List A cricket to make five consecutive 50-plus scores after Zaheer Abbas in 1978-1979

Their total looked short of par and so it proved as Klinger and Chris Dent began Gloucestershire's response in a positive mood before Dent was bowled by 17-year-old Matthew Fisher for 28.

Although Will Rhodes had Gareth Roderick caught by Jack Leaning cheaply, Yorkshire desperately missed England spinner Adil Rashid on a slow, sticky Headingley wicket.

Though Klinger only returned from Australia on Saturday, he looked completely at ease as he scored his third century in four matches in the One-Day Cup before launching Fisher for a straight six - the fourth of his innings - to finish the match in style.

The victory means that Gloucestershire's Geraint Jones, a member of England's victorious 2005 Ashes team, could play his final game before retirement at the home of cricket.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Liam Norwell could hardly believe what he had done after dropping a chance offered by Jonny Bairstow

Yorkshire captain Alex Lees:

"I think we fell probably 50 or 60 runs short. We didn't execute as well as we'd have liked to and in the end we fell short.

"Ryan Sidebottom doesn't play one-day cricket anymore and we've got Jack Brooks but we went for the side that's got us through to the semi-final. We wanted to keep consistency in the team."

Gloucestershire captain and man of the match Michael Klinger:

"It was certainly worth the trip back. I would have felt guilty had I not come back, and I'd like to thank the club for flying me back from Australia.

"I'm going to wait around for two weeks, put myself through a fitness boot camp, have a bit of a break, play a four-day game and play in the final.

"It's fantastic for the club and the boys deserve it. I think it's our time. It's fantastic for the club and the boys deserve it. I think it's our time."

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