Yorkshire survived a stunning 20-ball fifty from all-rounder Gareth Andrew to kick-start their Friends Life t20 campaign at the expense of Worcestershire at Headingley tonight.

The White Rose failed to hit a six in scraping to 152-7 on a slow pitch after Andrew Gale won the toss, and there is room for improvement in their batting.

But their bowling and fielding was impressive – until Andrew came in at 67-5 with the visitors needing 86 off 7.4 overs.

Andrew finished 60 not out off 26 balls, hitting four sixes, but he could not get enough strike as Yorkshire eventually defended 12 runs off the last over in a thrilling finish.

Bradford leggie Adil Rashid claimed two wickets in his second over – he had only conceded one from his first with the new ball – and Rich Pyrah later struck twice in his first over.

Rashid finished with 3-19 from his four overs and Pyrah 4-21 but Ryan Sidebottom bowled a superb last over to Andrew and tail-ender Shaaiq Choudhry.

Yorkshire won by two runs as Worcester finished on 150-7.

Batting conditions were not easy. That was highlighted by Gale’s 29 off 15 balls, including five fours, being the highest score of his side’s innings.

But they will need to take a few more risks, both with big shots and running between the wickets, if they are to build on a first North Division win at the third attempt.

The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Adam Lyth and Gerard Brophy all struggled for rhythm as a good start – 40-1 inside five overs – was not built on.

Three wickets for seamer Andrew and two for Bangladeshi left-arm spinner Shakib-Al-Hasan helped to increase nerves as they fell to 131-7 early in the 19th over.

But that was when Sidebottom and Rashid started an alliance that eventually turned the match – with both bat and ball.

Sidebottom clubbed two boundaries in 16 not out off eight balls as Rashid nudged and nurdled an important 13 off nine.

They added 21 runs in the last 11 balls to gain their side some momentum before they also combined effectively with the new ball.

Rashid conceded one run from his first over, Sidebottom three from his first and then Rashid took two wickets in his next to reduce the score to 12-2.

He had Moeen Ali caught at short third-man by a diving Sidebottom and trapped Alexei Kervezee lbw within three balls, later bowling Daryl Mitchell.

Pyrah got Vikram Solanki and Shakib in his first over and then James Cameron and Ben Scott late on.

Yorkshire face Roses rivals Lancashire at Old Trafford tomorrow night.