Harvey is the cream again for Yorkshire

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Wednesday 29th Jun 2005.

Ian Harvey proved once again that he is the undisputed king of Twenty20 cricket by thrashing a sizzling century in Yorkshire's six-wicket win over previously unbeaten Derbyshire at Headingley yesterday.

The Australian all-rounder has now plundered three of the seven centuries made since the Twenty20 Cup started two years ago and this latest effort of 109 was the highest of the three.

Yorkshire needed a big innings from someone after Derbyshire had made 195 for eight in front of a 5,585 crowd, and Harvey was the man to do it in style.

He charged to his century off only 47 balls, and by the time he was bowled by Ant Botha he had slammed nine fours and seven sixes from just 55 deliveries.

Even so, Yorkshire had only one over remaining when Michael Lumb cracked the winning boundary to make it two wins out of three, and

victory over Durham at Headingley tomorrow will give them a good chance of making it to the quarter-finals.

Harvey and Matthew Wood rattled up 30 in three overs before Wood departed but it was the stand between the Aussie pair of Harvey and Phil Jaques that put Yorkshire in command.

The second-wicket pair combined in a Yorkshire record partnership of 124 in only 12 overs, Jaques having contributed a modest 37, with five fours off 30 balls, when he was bowled making too much room to cut Botha.

Opening the Yorkshire reply, Harvey began as he intended to go on, picking up Kevin Dean for a big six into the West Stand, and following up with two fours as 21 came off the first over.

Mo Sheikh was even more expensive soon afterwards as Harvey helped himself to three fours and two sixes on his way to 50 from 22 deliveries with six fours and three sixes.

Harvey greeted Botha with two more huge sixes in an astonishing piece of batting which made him the automatic choice for the man-of-the-match award. It was his second in three days because he also scooped the prize at Trent Bridge on Sunday for his 74 off 32 deliveries.

Tim Bresnan (3-26) was again easily the best of York-shire's bowlers, dismissing Michael Di Venuto and coming back to get rid of former Yorkshire player Andy Gray.

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