Yorkshire are up to second in the North Division thanks to an impressive Friends Provident Twenty20 seven-wicket win over leaders Nottinghamshire at Headingley tonight.

In-form opener Alex Hales’ belligerent 62 off 43 balls had given the visitors plenty of hope as they looked for their seventh win from nine matches so far.

They reached 87 for two after ten overs after captain David Hussey had elected to bat first.

But Yorkshire’s bowlers, especially the likes of Anthony McGrath and Rich Pyrah later on, reined in the score to a below par 158 for seven.

Adam Lyth then top-scored with 43 off 33 balls and man of the match McGrath added an unbeaten 38 off 30 in reply.

Opening bowler Steve Patterson earlier returned figures of two for 32 from his four overs, picking up the wickets of Alistair Brown with his first ball and Matthew Wood.

With 21-year-old Hales, who has now scored three 50s in this competition, at the crease, the men from Trent Bridge seemed on course to post an imposing total.

Hales and Samit Patel shared 70 for the third wicket in a little over eight overs.

But pick of the bowlers Pyrah, who also took a spectacular one-handed catch at long off to get rid of Hales off Adil Rashid’s leg-spin, claimed the important wicket of Patel for 41 off 29 balls and only went for 17 runs from his four overs.

McGrath’s medium pace helped out, going for 26 and getting Hussey.

And, from the moment Andrew Gale and Lyth took 19 runs off Darren Pattin-son’s first over of the chase, Yorkshire’s place three points behind Notts looked in very little doubt.

Gale hit the first two balls of the innings for four before his fellow left-hander launched the one-Test wonder into the Western Terrace for six.

Gale may have been beaten for pace by Dirk Nannes in the second over but Herschelle Gibbs came in and continued the onslaught as he hit Steven Mullaney’s first two balls for a four through the covers and a six over wide long-on, helping his side reach 62 for one after six.

Yorkshire then lost Gibbs (29) and Lyth, who both holed out to spin duo Patel and Graeme White, leaving the score at 101 for three in the 12th.

But McGrath and Gerard Brophy (31) then shared a calming unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 61 in seven overs to seal a fifth win with ten balls to spare.