A REMARKABLE late onslaught from Jos Buttler helped Lancashire to a final-ball victory over Yorkshire Vikings in front of a sell-out crowd at Headingley.

Joe Root hit nine fours on his way to 55 from 39 balls in his first county appearance of the season before Australian Glenn Maxwell took three wickets to put the hosts in control.

But Buttler struck an unbeaten 71 from 35 balls as he scampered a single off the final delivery to help his side travel back to Manchester with the Roses bragging rights.

Despite Maxwell reverse-sweeping the opening delivery for six having been elevated to opening the batting, the Vikings struggled to pick up boundaries in the early stages, and were 65-3 when Jonny Bairstow fell in the eighth over.

But Root combined with Balance to add 65 from just 37 deliveries for the fourth wicket, with the latter hitting three sixes in successive balls on his to a quickfire 31.

Root, meanwhile, went through to reach his half-century from 32 balls before he became the second of James Faulkner’s three wickets as he lobbed a catch to mid-off having been deceived by a slower ball.

Jack Leaning looked to continue the momentum with 22 from ten balls, but otherwise Yorkshire limped over the line somewhat as they lost three wickets for 13 from the final 14 balls to finish on 185-8.

Lancashire got off to a quick start in reply, with Liam Livingstone hitting two sixes and surviving a dropped chance by Matthew Fisher before falling to Maxwell for 27.

Ashwell Prince and Karl Brown then added 42 for the second wicket, but when the latter became Maxwell’s second victim for 21, the Lancashire chase stalled despite Jos Buttler arriving at the crease.

Prince was lbw to Maxwell for 32, but a stand of 52 from Buttler and captain Steven Croft kept the Old Trafford outfit in touch leading into the final overs.

And though Croft and then James Faulkner fell in quick succession, Buttler showed all his experience as he hit Fisher for consecutive sixes to bring up his half-century before hitting 16 of the 17 runs required off Tim Bresnan’s final over to secure victory.