Yorkshire were denied a fifth straight Twenty20 Cup win by former West Indian international Gareth Breese, who hit Tim Bresnan for six off the final ball to grab Durham an unlikely tie at Headingley.

Breese cracked Bresnan over extra over into the Western Terrace to draw level with Yorkshire’s competitive 159 for seven.

Rising star Rich Pyrah, the 25-year-old all-rounder, looked to have sealed the win with bowling figures of four for 20 from his four overs, the club’s best-ever analysis in this competition.

The Tykes, who had been invited to bat first, were set on their way by Anthony McGrath’s majestic 65 off 59 balls. He cracked six fours and a six as he became the top scorer for the sixth game out of seven.

Michael Vaughan hit his highest Twenty20 score, a 24-ball 34 with five fours, while Jacques Rudolph added 33 from 24 with five fours.

England bowler Steve Harmison claimed four for 38 from his four overs by taking three wickets in the last over.

Phil Mustard, England’s former one-day wicketkeeper, then got the visitors off to a flier with 40 off 28 balls as the north-east side blazed away to 51 for one after five overs.

But Pyrah put the squeeze on by removing Mustard then Dale Benkenstein and powerful South African Albie Morkel in consecutive balls, as well as Shaun Pollock.

Durham required 35 off the final three overs with three wickets in hand – and 27 off the final two – but that was when the wheels started to fall off.

Yorkshire were penalised a no-ball for having too few fielders inside the circle and the extra Darren Gough ball went for four.

Durham needed 12 off the last over from Bresnan. Breese, who finished with 21 off 14 balls, actually turned down a second run off the penultimate ball of the match to leave a win out of the equation.

He was supremely confident in his own ability to hit a maximum.

McGrath, who later revealed that he still has England ambitions but was unlikely ever to fulfil them, described the tie as “one point lost”.

“It is still all to play for and we probably need to win two out of our last three games to qualify,” he said, McGrath, who has now hit four 50s in seven Twenty20 matches, added: “In terms of England, I think that I would have to score 200 every game to get back in. I think my time has passed.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and that is mine. Things are out of my control, so I will just concentrate on playing for Yorkshire.

The Tykes currently lie third in the North Division, a point off the top, with three games remaining and play Durham in the reverse fixture at the Riverside on Tuesday.