Nail-biting county finish leads to 116-year first

Picture credit: Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Northamptonshire have lost a match by just one run for the first time in more than 100 years of first-class cricket as Yorkshire pulled off a thrilling victory at Headingley on Sunday.

Chasing 220 to win a see-sawing match in Leeds, Northants slumped to 7-146 before some late-order resistance steered them to 8-206 and within sight of victory.

The loss of No.10 Simon Kerrigan saw the equation become 14 runs needed with one wicket in hand and there was further drama as a rain shower began almost immediately, forcing an hour-long halt in play when the tension was at its highest.

When play resumed, the last-wicket pair of South African Wayne Parnell and No.11 Ben Sanderson edged the score to 9-218, setting up the prospect of tied match.

But Yorkshire's skipper Steven Patterson went one better for his side, finding the edge of Parnell's bat through to wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall, removing the left-hander for a gutsy 33 from 102 balls and sealing victory for Yorkshire by just a solitary run.

It's the first time Northants have lost a game by that margin since their maiden first-class game in 1905, while it's the second time in the past 15 years that Yorkshire have won by a run at Headingley having also done so against Loughborough University in 2007.

It's the 33rd time in first-class cricket that a team has won by one run and just the fourth time this century.

There's only been one instance of a one-run victory in Test cricket, when West Indies famously beat Australia by that margin in Adelaide in 1993.

In other County Championship games completed on Sunday, Peter Handscomb's Middlesex lost to Somerset by four wickets in Taunton as the hosts chased down a target of 207 to win.

Victorian Handscomb, who is captaining Middlesex in his first season at the club, returned scores of 17 and 0 having also made a duck on debut against Surrey last week.

In Bristol, Dan Worrall's Gloucestershire successfully reeled in 348 in the fourth innings to record a four-wicket victory over Marcus Harris and his Leicestershire side.

Ten-Test batter Harris made a match double of 62 and 23 for the Foxes while Worrall took six wickets for the match, including 5-79 – and the wicket of Harris – in the first innings.

Ian Cockbain (117) and Tom Lace (97) were the heroes for Gloucestershire, sharing a 224-run partnership on the final day to maintain their side's unbeaten start to the season.

In Worcester, Peter Siddle was wicketless in 28 overs for Essex in their high-scoring draw against Worcestershire at New Road, where just 40 wickets have fallen across two matches so far this season.

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