T20 Blast Essentials: Yorkshire Vikings v Worcestershire Rapids

Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, head-to-head record, weather forecast, prediction, and everything else you need to know ahead of the Vitality T20 Blast match

The Cricketer | 23/06/2021 at 11:00

Fixture: Yorkshire Vikings v Worcestershire Rapids

Venue: Emerald Headingley, Leeds

Dates: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Start time: 6.30pm

What's the lowdown?

Yorkshire Vikings are in strong white-ball form at present and currently sit at the top of the North Group table. Since losing their second fixture of the season, the Vikings have won three of their four matches (their match against Durham was abandoned) and most recently saw off Derbyshire with a convincing 39-run victory.

Joe Root's side are yet to lose when batting first and demolished Worcestershire by 122 runs in the reverse fixture at New Road. However, while the return of Root is a plus, the international white-ball schedule will deprive them of David Willey, Adil Rashid, Dawid Malan, and Jonny Bairstow for the foreseeable future.

After remaining unbeaten in their first three outings, Worcestershire Rapids now have not won in three - albeit with one washout. They sit sixth, three points off the top four, following a dismal performance against Notts Outlaws on Tuesday.

Remarkably, Worcestershire only managed 86 for 8 from a full 20-over allocation, before Notts knocked off the required runs in 6.2 overs.

Who's in form?

In Bairstow's absence against Derbyshire Falcons, Joe Root and young Harry Brook stepped up with the bat, scoring 49 (36 balls) and 48 not out (34), respectively. Brook now has 183 runs in five appearances, placing him second only to Bairstow (295 runs) in Yorkshire's run standings, and is scoring at a strike rate of 155.08.

With the ball, Dom Bess and overseas signing Lockie Ferguson impressed against Derbyshire, posting identical figures of 3 for 21. Bess now has five wickets and an economy of 6.37 from two appearances while Ferguson has captured nine wickets and is conceding an economical 6.97 runs per over.

Four Worcestershire batsmen have broken 100 runs for the season, but none has more than 110 and only one - Moeen Ali, who is now away with England - has been striking at better than 130.

Brett D'Oliveira has the best economy rate of any bowler in the Blast - 3.40 - but that has only come from five overs. Charlie Morris is the leading wicket-taker for the county so far in the 2021 competition, with seven at 19.28.

What's the team news?

Jonny Tattersall returns to the Yorkshire squad after a loan spell at Gloucestershire. Jonny Bairstow, David Willey and Adil Rashid are away with England.

Yorkshire squad: Gary Ballance, Dom Bess, Harry Brook, Lockie Ferguson, Will Fraine, Matthew Fisher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dominic Leech, Adam Lyth, Josh Poysden, Joe Root, Jonny Tattersall, Jordan Thompson, Matthew Waite

For Worcestershire, Moeen Ali is away with England, Ben Cox deputises as captain.

Latest Yorkshire Vikings news: Click here

Latest Worcestershire Rapids news: Click here

Last five T20 matches (most recent first)

Yorkshire Vikings: WAWWL

Worcestershire Rapids: LALWW

Head-to-head T20 record

Total matches: 11

Yorkshire wins: 6

Worcestershire wins: 5

Tied: 0

No result: 0

Abandoned: 3

What's the weather forecast?

Cloudy with sunny intervals and temperatures hovering between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius.

Keep up to date with the MetOffice's rolling forecast for Headingley: Click here

How do I follow the match?

TV/stream: The ECB are offering a streaming service which can be found here. A live stream is also available on yorkshireccc.com

Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry ball-by-ball radio commentary of the game.

Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and daily updates from every Vitality T20 Blast match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.

Going to the game?

Tickets

Tickets are available for Yorkshire Vikings versus Worcestershire Rapids. The match will be played in front of a reduced crowd in line with the government's most recent Covid-19 guidelines.

Click here to visit the Yorkshire box office.

Travel

Address: Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds, LS6 3DP

By car: From the south leave the M1 at Junction 43 to take the M621 as far as Junction 2. From the M62 West leave at Junction 27 to take the M621 as far as Junction 2. From the M62 East leave at Junction29 to join the M1 Northbound to take the M621 as far as junction 2.

At Junction 2 of the M621 follow the signs for Headingley stadium along the A643. These signs will lead you along the Leeds Inner Ring Road A58 to the A660 which is signposted to Skipton and Headingley Stadium. Signs along this road will indicate you have reached the Headingley area.

All routes into Leeds from Bradford, Keighley and other northern areas lead to the Leeds Outer Ring Road, the A6110 – A6120 – A63. Along the Outer Ring Road signposting to Headingley Stadium will lead you to the A660 Otley Road and from here southwards to the Headingley area.

Parkings: Check the latest information with the club, given Covid-19 restrictions.

By train: Headingley is served by three stations.

Leeds Station: Headingley is around a 10-15 minute drive from Leeds City Station. A taxi should cost around £8-£10.

Headingley Station: Headingley Station is on the Harrogate Line and is a 10-minute walk from the ground. Please note that the initial part of this walk is slightly uphill. Trains run half-hourly from Leeds Station and should take around 12 minutes.

Burley Park Station: Burley Park Station is also on the Harrogate Line and is a five-minute walk from the ground. Trains run half-hourly and should take around five minutes. If travelling from Leeds Station this is your recommended station to use.

By bus: The following services operate from the city centre towards Headingley.

Services 19 and 19A – buses every 15 minutes

City Centre stops:

Stand F7 on York Street opposite Leeds Bus Station

Stand K13 on Kirkgate

Stand K17 on Duncan Street

Stand S10 outside Leeds Railway Station

Stand D on Infirmary Street

Stand Y10 opposite the Central Library

Stand Y14 opposite the Combined Courts

Service 56 – buses every 10 minutes

City Centre stops

Stand G6 on Eastgate

Stand J1 on Albion Street

Services 19/A

Full route: Ireland Wood/Tinshill-Spen Lane-Queenswood Drive-Headingley (Stadium)-Cardigan Road-Burley Road-City Centre-York Road-Halton-Whitkirk-Colton-Garforth.

Service 56

Full route: Moor Grange-Queenswood Drive-Headingley (Stadium)-Hyde Park-University-City Centre-York Road-Cross Gates-Swarcliffe-Whinmoor