Tykes keep semi-final hopes alive

Adil Rashid took career-best figures in List A cricket as Yorkshire Carnegie kept their slim semi-final hopes in the Clydesdale Bank 40 alive with a 69-run victory over the Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
Former Australia batsman Phil Jaques blasted 87 off just 83 balls against his old club as Yorkshire posted 262 for eight from their 40 overs, with Lee Daggett taking four wickets for 54 runs for the hosts.

The Steelbacks never looked like reaching their target as they collapsed to 193 all out with all-rounder Rashid taking four for 38 and David Sales top-scoring with 55 off 58 deliveries.

Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to field and they removed Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale for 16 in the eighth over when he slashed Luke Evans to Rob Newton at backward point. But Jaques raced to 50 off just 44 balls before James Jaques forced Adam Lyth to edge to Steelbacks wicketkeeper David Murphy to depart for 29.

Jaques eventually holed out when he smashed Evans, who was playing in his first match of the season, to Olly Stone at deep square leg. David Miller hurried to 44 off 50 deliveries, but he dragged Daggett on to his stumps before the same bowler's delivery clattered into Rashid's off stump to dismiss him for 25.

Daggett struck twice more in the 38th over when Gary Ballance (15) launched him to Niall O'Brien at deep square leg and Azeem Rafiq (one) chipped to Alex Wakely at mid-off five balls later.

Yorkshire wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy (19) was then stumped by Murphy after missing Steelbacks captain Andrew Hall's delivery in the final over.

Chasing 263, the hosts began steadily before Rob Newton fell cheaply for 30 in the 11th over when he was taken at mid-off by Ballance off the bowling of Rashid. He struck again when Wakely was stumped by Brophy for eight before Ireland international O'Brien smashed his full toss to Gale, who took a superb diving catch at mid-on, after he had plundered 38.

He continued to torment the Northamptonshire batsmen and trapped Rob Keogh lbw for 14 in his final over - but Sales hung around to complete his half-century off 52 balls. However, his effort ended when he was run out by Miller from deep midwicket before Murphy departed for six in the same manner by the same fielder, this time from mid-off, three overs later.

Ashraf bowled Middlebrook for two before Hall (28) launched Steven Patterson to Miller at long-on and Iain Wardlaw bowled Daggett and Evans for ducks in the final over to complete a sorry procession.