'Imam played brilliantly, rest faltered,' says Yorkshire coach after semi-final defeat

SCARBOROUGH: Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath on Sunday expressed his disappointment following his team’s defeat in the One-Day Cup semi-final, while also praising key performers Imam-ul-Haq and Adam Lyth.

Speaking to the media after the match, McGrath said mistakes with both bat and ball contributed to Yorkshire’s loss. 

"It’s been a bit of a funny game because we were really, really good with the ball for 38 overs, and then they obviously batted well. Dawson is a fabulous player, but conceding 120-odd off the last 10 overs was too much," he said.

McGrath highlighted the positive contributions of Imam-ul-Haq and Adam Lyth, who gave Yorkshire a strong start. 

"The way we batted, Imam and Adam Lyth got us off to a good start, and then Imam and Will Luxton, we were cruising the game. Obviously, it’s not easy when play is interrupted, but when we got the revised target.

"We spoke about needing 115 off 15 overs with nine wickets in hand. If you took that in a T20 game, you’d be more than happy," he added.

However, McGrath noted that aside from Imam, the rest of the batting lineup faltered. 

“Apart from Imam, we had a bit of a brain fade. Proper shots and running hard would have done it. On this ground, it’s difficult to defend, so it’s a target we should have got," he said.

Despite the setback, McGrath remained positive about Yorkshire’s overall performance in the tournament. 

"We’ve been tremendous in this competition. Seven wins out of eight games show how well we’ve played in the group. Everyone’s disappointed, but it’s a reminder that we’re not quite there yet, and we’ve got to learn from it," he said.

Notably, Imam-ul-Haq is currently the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 688 runs in eight matches at an average of 98.28 and a strike rate of 97.45, including three fifties and four centuries.