HALF-centuries from Joe Root, Tim Bresnan and Matthew Waite helped Yorkshire post a competitive 281-8 in today's Royal London Cup clash at Edgbaston.

This is a meeting between the North Group's top and bottom teams and you could argue a case for both sides being the happier at halfway.

After Yorkshire won the toss, they lost Adam Lyth caught behind off Keith Barker to the first ball of the match and later slipped to 50-3 as Jonny Bairstow and Peter Handscomb fell cheaply.

But the Vikings, who are odds on to qualify for the knockout stage of the one-day competition, battled their way back impressively as Root hit 83, Bresnan 65 and Waite 71.

The Bears, last year's champions, will fancy their chances of recording a second win this year with a very short boundary on one side, although the pitch seems two paced.

Bresnan and Waite hit five leg-side sixes, Bresnan with four of them, in a sixth-wicket stand of 116 inside 16 overs to put the hosts under some late pressure, Waite reaching his maiden first-team fifty off 47 balls.