Roses win slips from Tykes' grasp

11:38pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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Yorkshire Carnegie failed to go top of the Friends Provident Trophy North Division after a thrilling rain-affected defeat against Roses rivals Lancashire at Old Trafford today.

But the White Rose county will still fancy their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals with four games remaining and two of them against unfancied Scotland.

Yorkshire just failed to defend a Duckworth Lewis adjusted target of 214 after a 90-minute rain delay, losing by three wickets in the penultimate over.

Lancashire's South African Kolpak batsman Francois Du Plessis hit an unbeaten 77 to claim victory after his side were in tatters at 76 for five.

Earlier, Jacques Rudolph compiled a patient 65, while veteran batsman Craig White recorded 42 not out to help the Tykes recover from 58 for four to post 204 for seven in 45 overs.

And then superb bowling from captain Darren Gough (3-45) and England hopeful Tim Bresnan shattered the Lightning's top order.

The hosts, who had won the toss and elected to field first, made the perfect start thanks to three wickets for Kyle Hogg, reducing the Tykes to 44 for three in the 12th over.

Hogg removed Gerard Brophy (18), Anthony McGrath and left-hander Andrew Gale for 20. Sajid Mahmood whipped out Adam Lyth soon after to make it 58 for four.

But Rudolph and White embarked on a solid and crucial fifth-wicket alliance of 81 to wrestle back the momentum.

Rudolph, aged 26, hit three boundaries and one six before he was bowled round his legs trying to sweep leg-spinner Simon Marshall.

An unexpected hail and rain storm halted proceedings, with the score on 145 for five, before White and Bresnan upped the ante.

Bresnan added a brief 21, while Richard Pyrah's ten followed. But White, playing just his second game of any kind this season, saw things through to record an unbeaten 42.

Lancashire began their innings in solid fashion to reach 33 for nought in the tenth over. But Bresnan snapped up Mal Loye and Stuart Law in the space of two legitimate balls.

Gough, bated by the raucous Old Trafford crowd, further brightened things by trapping Pakistan star Mohammad Yousuf lbw and smartly snaffling Steven Croft off his own bowling at the second attempt.

David Wainwright picked up Gareth Cross (41), before Du Plessis and Luke Sutton put on 62 for the sixth wicket.

Pyrah removed Sutton, but Du Plessis and Hogg notched 57 for the eighth wicket to leave Glen Chapple (13) to hit the winnings runs.