Yorkshire’s bid to avoid relegation in the LV= County Championship has been given a major boost with the news of Jacques Rudolph’s return as their overseas player.

The South African left-hander has agreed to play the last six matches of the season, starting with the Roses clash on July 20, after relinquishing his status as a Kolpak player last September.

The news overshadowed tonight’s 18-run Friends Life t20 defeat against Leicestershire at Headingley, which further hampered Yorkshire’s hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Rudolph, 30, scored 5,111 runs in four seasons of first-class cricket for the Tykes between 2007 and 2010.

His absence has been one of the major reasons why Andrew Gale’s side have struggled in all forms of the game – particularly the Championship, where they find themselves second bottom of Division One.

Director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon said: “Jacques is a hugely respected and popular player and we have missed his contribution in all forms of the game.

“We’re look forward to his runs lifting the team in the remaining matches.”

Rudolph is currently captaining South Africa A on their tour of Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire were undone by a superb unbeaten 96 by Andrew McDonald, now the domestic T20 competition’s leading run-scorer, as Leicestershire amassed 191-4 from 19 overs following a 45-minute rain delay.

Yorkshire’s target was then boosted to 193 from 19 by Duckworth-Lewis and they fell short on 174-9.

On a sluggish pitch, it was actually one of Yorkshire’s better Twenty20 batting performances of the season but they were left with too much to do.

They lost wickets at regular intervals after openers Gale (20) and Joe Sayers (27) had put on 34.

Not even a sixth-wicket stand of 42 inside four overs between Gary Ballance (25) and Jonny Bairstow (25) could save them. Off-spinner Jigar Naik took three wickets in an over.

Yorkshire now have to win all of their last three matches to have any chance of qualifying.