YORKSHIRE'S NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final hopes were dented by Birmingham Bears as they failed to combat a Jeetan Patel hat-trick and Laurie Evans' blitz at Headingley.

Off-spinner Patel left Yorkshire tottering at 62-5 in the ninth over after Andrew Gale had won the toss and he finished with 4-19.

But the hosts were boosted to 147-6 by an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 68 between Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid, who recovered from 79-6 in the 13th.

They united for 7.2 overs and hit 45 off 36 balls and 29 from 20 respectively.

Ryan Sidebottom struck twice with the new ball as Birmingham slipped to 29-3 in the fifth over – and they later fell to 83-5 in the 13th.

But Evans hit a sensational unbeaten 69 off 43 deliveries to help seal a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.

Yorkshire are now likely to have to beat Nottinghamshire at the same venue next Friday in their final North Division match to seal a last- eight place.

Patel, having got Alex Lees stumped midway through the seventh over, started his hat-trick by getting compatriot Kane Williamson lbw with the third ball of the ninth, leaving Yorkshire at 62-3. He then bowled both Gale and Adam Lyth.

After Jonny Bairstow had holed out to long-off against Ateeq Javid's part-time spin, Bresnan and Rashid were able to rebuild the innings, including 25 runs coming off the last two overs.

Will Porterfield to Bresnan, Jon Webb and Tim Ambrose all departed as Birmingham also stuttered in reply. Webb was superbly caught by Aaron Finch at mid-wicket after a top-edged pull went very high.

And when captain Varun Chopra chipped Azeem Rafiq to short mid-on, the visitors were 40-4 in the eighth and still 108 away.

Rikki Clarke fell to Rashid, leaving the score at 83-5, before the target became 50 off five overs. Evans took that to seven off the last with an inventive knock.

Yorkshire face Middlesex in the LV= County Championship at Scarborough tomorrow.