Yorkshire eased past Roses rivals Lancashire at Headingley last night to move to the brink of qualification for the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals with a 19-run success.

David Miller and Gary Ballance set up an imposing 180-6 with a record fifth-wicket stand of 91 in 43 balls to recover from 86-4 after 13 overs.

Miller and Ballance scored 54 off 30 balls and 42 off 23 respectively as they destroyed the Lightning attack in the closing stages of their innings.

Pakistani Yasir Arafat suffered as he went for 55 from his four overs, the most expensive spell in Lancashire’s history.

And a fifth North Division win from six matches was secured – and top spot retained – as Yorkshire restricted their rivals to 161-5. Australian Mitchell Starc yet again led the way with 2-21.

The White Rose, who may need just one more win to secure a quarter-final tie, were on the back foot after being invited to bat first.

Adam Lyth fell to Arafat and Joe Root to Glen Chapple, leaving the score at 39-2 in the sixth.

Phil Jaques hit a spritely 40 off 28 balls but was amazed to be given run out after Steven Croft’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end from long-off. And when Gary Keedy removed Jonny Bairstow, the hosts were 84-4.

But that brought Miller and Ballance together to entertain a crowd of 10,350. Between them, they whacked ten fours and four sixes. Miller hit three, including a reverse sweep off Keedy’s left-arm spin.

Starc then bowled Stephen Moore around his legs in the second over of Lancashire’s response before Tom Smith holed out off Rich Pyrah in the sixth.

Karl Brown (46) and Croft added 82 inside ten overs for the third wicket but they rarely looked like getting ahead of the rate as Moin Ashraf and Azeem Rafiq, who claimed a wicket apiece, impressed.

It left the visitors needing 27 off the last, in which Starc had Croft caught at mid-off for 56.

Yorkshire’s next Friends Life t20 match is against Nottinghamshire, their closest rivals, at Trent Bridge on Thursday.