Yorkshire fell short of chasing 321 to beat last year’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup finalists Hampshire at Scarborough today, with Tom Prest’s excellent 109 off 94 balls key to a 50-run away success.

This was a repeat of last year’s semi-final, which Hampshire also won en-route to losing in the final against Worcestershire. 

Their team today was more inexperienced, but they triumphed once more on the back of a 320-8 total which also saw Jake Lehmann make 75 and debutant Isaac Bepey claim three wickets in an encouraging performance.

Prest and Lehmann shared 147 for the fourth wicket to recover things from 68-3 before Will Luxton and George Hill contributed 64 and 61 for Yorkshire, who fell from 84-0 in the 11th over of their chase to 270 all out in 47.

Yorkshire will rue the fact that there were three run outs and a number of other soft dismissals. Prest and Lehmann’s stand, meanwhile, was a fourth-wicket record in List A matches at this venue.

Left-arm quick Bepey, aged 25, returned 3-64 from 10 overs on his Yorkshire debut having impressed in the second team recently. But this was a day for the batters even though the White Rose elected to bowl first. 

Ali Orr played some eye-catching shots in a cameo of 30, including a gorgeous lofted six over long-on off Ben Cliff, who gained revenge by getting him caught behind as Hampshire fell to 68-3 in the 17th over.

That wicket was sandwiched in between Ben Coad forcing Nick Gubbins to play on in the fourth over and Bepey getting Fletcha Middleton caught behind with one angled across him.

Unlike top order colleagues Orr and Middleton, the latter who made 16, Lehmann and Prest were able to make the most of starts, though the former was dropped at point on five.

Both men kept the scoreboard moving nicely, with Lehmann particularly strong on the drive and Prest hoisting Yorkshire captain Dom Bess’s off-spin over long-on for six.

Lehmann reached his fifty off 63 balls in the 34th over and Prest his off 55 in the 35th, by which time Hampshire were 167-3.

From then on, both batters kicked on.

Hill only conceded 10 runs in his first seven overs and then 17 in his eighth as Hampshire really started to assert their authority. 

Prest was dropped on 73 at the start of the 40th over, but Cliff had Lehmann caught behind at the end of it – 215-4. 

Bepey struck again to get Sharma with the score on 230 in the 43rd. But the bulk of the plaudits should go to Fin Bean running around towards deep square-leg. He caught the ball and offloaded it to Sam Whiteman before going over the rope. 

Hampshire’s acceleration was led by Prest and exemplified by the fact Hill conceded 43 in his last three overs, albeit getting the 89-ball centurion caught at deep mid-wicket in the penultimate over.

Yorkshire then raced out of the blocks in reply, with a flurry of boundaries coming against a youthful Hampshire attack.

When Luxton hit four boundaries against the seam of Dom Kelly in the seventh over, including three in a row, to move to 43, the hosts were 71-0.

He dominated a stand of 84 in 11 overs with Adam Lyth, who fell lbw reverse sweeping at Andrew Neal’s left-arm spin for 35. Luxton had reached a 36-ball fifty moments before.

Will Bennison was then run out backing up without facing a ball in the next over after a Luxton drive at Sharma was deflected onto the non-striker’s end stumps. 

And when Luxton pulled debutant new-ball seamer Oli Williams down to long-leg when going well, Yorkshire were 113-3 after 18 with the game very much in the balance. 

Sam Whiteman and Hill then steadied the ship and shared 68. Both played confidently against spin through the middle overs, though it was the seam of Sharma which did for Whiteman, who was caught at mid-wicket for 44 following a top-edge – 181-4 in the 30th over.

Hill lofted Harry Petrie’s seam over long-on for six to move into the forties and take Yorkshire beyond 200. Fin Bean was now with him at the crease. Hill then reached 50 off 55 balls.

Bean was run out for 21 before Hill miscued a pull to short third-man against Neal, leaving Yorkshire at 233-6 after 39 overs.

Sharma then had Harry Duke caught at deep mid-wicket pulling and then Bess caught at cover in the 43rd over. At 249-8, that was unfortunately that. 

Prest’s off-spin dismissed Cliff before Bepay was run out coming back for two as Yorkshire tried to pull this game out of the fire.