YORKSHIRE opened their NatWest T20 Blast account with a heavy defeat against Leicestershire at Headingley last night as they failed to chase 175, losing by 54 runs with eight balls left.

The Vikings, who elected to bowl, started superbly courtesy of a Tim Bresnan wicket maiden, but things slipped so badly that they later found themselves 20-3 after six overs of their chase.

They were bowled out for 120 in Alex Lees’ first competitive game as full-time limited overs captain, with Will Rhodes the lone hand with 45 off 26 balls.

They had reduced the Foxes to 72-4 in the eleventh over of their innings - powerful trio Mark Cosgrove, Kevin O’Brien and Pakistani overseas Umar Akmal all departed.

But left-handers Ben Raine and Niall O’Brien gave the visitors’ innings impetus with 48 and 39 apiece as 102 runs came from the last ten overs on the way to 174-7.

Bresnan, making his season’s debut following a calf injury, and Liam Plunkett both impressed with two wickets, but they could not prevent all nine of Leicestershire’s sixes coming in the last 6.3 overs.

Despite taking a wicket in his first over - the 18th of the innings - Ben Coad was expensive in conceding 34 from his two, including 22 from the last of the innings.

After an excellent start to the match, with Yorkshire looking sharp, things slipped for the hosts as they dropped three catches of varying difficulty and had Niall O’Brien caught off a no-ball from Will Rhodes shortly before he got out having hit four sixes in 21 balls.

Former Durham all-rounder Raine took his time to get going having come in at four, but at least he was able to build a platform following the loss of early wickets.

Plunkett was the pick of Yorkshire’s bowlers with 2-23 from his four overs.

He had Kevin O’Brien caught at mid-on following a miscue and Akmal caught at mid-off in similar fashion.

But, unfortunately, his performance did not contribute to a victory for a county who are still searching for the magic formula in this form of the game following one Finals Day appearance in 13 years.

The Vikings lost openers Adam Lyth and Lees as well as Adil Rashid, promoted to bat at three, in the first six overs to put the kybosh on things.

Lyth skied Raine to mid-off, Lees was caught at short fine-leg off Kevin O’Brien’s first ball before Rashid edged a Raine beauty behind.

Raine then took a diving catch running around from mid-off to help Tom Wells get rid of Jack Leaning, with the score later slipping to 62-5 in the 12th over.

The innings subsided quickly on a tacky surface, with Bresnan and Plunkett falling in the space of three balls to leave the score at 89-7 in the 15th over.

Kevin O’Brien finished with 3-27 from four and Raine 3-7 from 3.4.

Yorkshire are expected to welcome back winter marquee signing David Willey for their next Blast clash, against Worcestershire at New Road on Thursday.

They are back in Specsavers County Championship action tomorrow when they welcome Division One leaders Lancashire to Headingley.

Yorkshire squad v Lancashire: Gale c Ballance, Bresnan, Brooks, Hodd w, Leaning, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rashid, Rhodes.