Adam Lyth celebrated becoming the first Yorkshire batter to reach 4,000 T20 runs in style by hitting a superb 51-ball 84 in a nine-wicket win as they routinely chased 180 to beat Derbyshire by nine wickets in the Vitality Blast at Headingley.
Yorkshire should have been pursuing many more, but the Falcons stuttered from 114 without loss at the start of the 11th over to 179-6.
Opener Aneurin Donald blasted a brilliant 84 off 41 and despite England’s Joe Root taking 2-20 from three overs of off-spin, Yorkshire looked to be in for a tricky chase.
But veteran opener Lyth, in his 164th county appearance, brought up the 4,000 run milestone early in the chase and he and Dawid Malan tore the Derbyshire bowling apart in the reply, as Yorkshire continued their bright start to the North Group with a third win in four games.
Lyth was expertly supported by Malan in a 14.4-over opening stand of 137. The latter finished unbeaten on 79 off 48, sealing victory with 11 balls left.
Derbyshire, who have now lost three from five, raced away having been inserted, with Donald taking the lion’s share of 22 off Matthew Revis in the fifth over.
The Falcons finished the six-over powerplay at 70 without loss and put a much-changed Vikings attack under serious pressure.
The hosts are suffering from a number of seam bowling injuries and earlier this weekend announced the loan signing of Surrey quick Conor McKerr on a five-game deal.
It was, therefore, a surprise when he was left out of this fixture.
And with no McKerr to stop him, Donald continued his assault at a notoriously batter-friendly venue.
Fellow opener David Lloyd wasn’t quite the silent opening partner but not far off.
When Derbyshire reached 100 in the ninth over, he had 30 to Donald’s 69, but the Falcons had their wings clipped from that position of strength.
Jordan Thompson had Lloyd caught at deep midwicket for 41 to make the initial breakthrough, Dom Bess bowled Wayne Madsen and Samit Patel was caught at short third off Matthew Revis.
That triple strike left Derbyshire on 131-3 in the 13th over.
Donald was starved of the strike and soon followed the other back to the pavilion, caught at deep cover off debutant seamer Ben Cliff - his maiden T20 wicket.
Ross Whiteley then hoisted Root to deep backward square-leg, before the same bowler had Brooke Guest caught at deep midwicket in the last over.
Derbyshire found or cleared the boundary 16 times in the first half of the innings but only four times in the second, which proved costly.
Rain delayed this fixture by 15 minutes, and it was preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of local rugby league legend Rob Burrow, who died a week ago.
Burrow first made his name with Leeds Rhinos on the other side of Headingley.
On the cricket field, Lyth also has legendary status.
And the 36-year-old proved why when he set about the chase.
Like Donald, he was similarly dominant against the new ball and by the time he reached his fifty off 33 balls with three sixes, the Vikings were well on course for victory at 82 without loss in the ninth over.
The rest of Lyth’s four sixes were slog-swept or pulled leg-side, just as Malan did with two en-route to a fine fifty off 37 balls.
By the time Lyth was caught at long-off off Daryn Dupavillon, Yorkshire needed 43 and Derbyshire’s horse had bolted.
Yorkshire’s next North Group game is against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston this Friday.
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