A special innings of 69 not out off 43 balls from Andrew Hodd helped Yorkshire stun Leicestershire when all looked lost at Grace Road yesterday to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Royal London one-day Cup.

After Leicester could only post 236-8 from their 50 overs after being inserted, rain early in Yorkshire’s chase with them at 27-2 after eleven overs, threatened to the ruin the contest and give the hosts a Duckworth Lewis win.

After more than an hour’s delay, however, play was able to resume with the target adjusted to 191 in 32 overs, meaning the Vikings needed a stiff 164 in 21 overs on a sticky pitch.

Wickets continued to tumble to leave Yorkshire in a hole at 91-6 in the 21st over and the target 100 off 70 balls. Enter Hodd, the experienced wicketkeeper batsman who is only playing first-team cricket at present because Jonny Bairstow is on England Lions duty.

He shared 62 in 41 balls with Bresnan (24) for the seventh wicket to turn the game before he continued on when his partner had departed.

Although it was Rich Pyrah who hit a big six over mid-wicket to seal a three-wicket win with three balls to spare, former Sussex man Hodd was the hero with only his second fifty in List A cricket. It included ten fours and a huge six over mid-wicket himself in the penultimate over.

Yorkshire have now won four of their five Group A fixtures and probably only need one more win out of their last three matches to seal a last-eight berth.

“It would be one of them, definitely,” said Hodd when asked whether this was his best moment since joining Yorkshire in the latter stages of the 2012 season.

“The situation we were in, it’s just nice to contribute to a win really. We’ve got such a strong team, so I usually just bring up the rear and get a not out at the end.

“Here, it was nice to have a knock that got us over the winning line.”

Jack Brooks, Adil Rashid and Pyrah all struck twice apiece in the Leicester innings, with Brooks the pick of the bowlers with 2-26 from ten overs.

Matt Boyce hit 74 not out to get Leicester above 230.

Yorkshire are back in action on Monday against the Essex Eagles at Scarborough.

Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow clubbed a brilliant 123 but it proved to be in vain as England Lions fell short in their run chase against New Zealand A. The Yorkshire wicketkeeper was comfortably England’s highest scorer as they were bowled out for 260 in their pursuit of 282. Dean Brownlie made 115 for the Kiwis.