SIZZLING temperatures, a brass band, spectators slurping ice creams, the whiff of sun-tan lotion on a gentle breeze – it felt more like Arundel in August than Manchester in May.

That was at 12pm and, by 2.30pm, parts of Old Trafford were under water. Thunder, lightning, hail and rain conspired in dramatic fashion as the Manchester weather reverted to type.

The storm, as spectacular as it was unexpected, drove the teams off the field for 90 minutes and reduced the match to 45 overs per side.

Although it destroyed the festival atmosphere for a 5,000 crowd, it certainly didn't dampen the spirits of Lancashire's supporters, who watched their team progress to a three-wicket victory that strengthened their position at the top of the North Division.

After posting 204-7 from their 45 overs, Jacques Rudolph leading the way with 65, Yorkshire had Lancashire in the cart at
76-5 in the 22nd over.

But an unbeaten 77 from Francois du Plessis, a 23-year-old South African Kolpak player, wrested the initiative from their grasp as the home team won with exactly one over to spare.

With two victories from their opening four games, and with matches to come against Scotland (twice), Derbyshire and Lancashire once again, Yorkshire still have a decent chance of reaching the quarter-finals. But this will hit hard as they failed to defend a target that looked beyond their opponents.

Given the sweltering conditions at the start of play, with the thermometer up in the high 20s, some surprise greeted the decision of Lancashire captain Stuart Law to send Yorkshire into bat.

Law's judgement was more than justified, however, by the performance of seam bowler Kyle Hogg, who fought back strongly after conceding 12 runs from his opening over to take
3-15 from his next nine overs as he bowled straight through from the Brian Statham end.

Gerard Brophy, having struck three crisp boundaries in his role as a pinch-hitter, was Hogg's first victim, rather giving it away by top-edging a cross-batted slog to wicketkeeper Luke Sutton.

Anthony McGrath was adjudged leg-before to a delivery that might have been drifting down leg-side and when Andrew Gale drove loosely outside off-stump and was caught behind, Yorkshire were 44-3 in the 12th over.

The visitors slipped to 58-4 when Adam Lyth got an inside-edge to a ball from Sajid Mahmood that was brilliantly held by Sutton, who was initially wrong-footed before flinging himself back to his right to claim the catch.

It needed a steadying stand of 81 between Rudolph and Craig White to take Yorkshire from a dodgy position towards a competitive total, Rudolph the dominant partner as he struck three fours and a six in an 86-ball stay.

The six, aimed high over long-on off leg-spinner Simon Marshall, looked like being the catalyst for something really explosive but it proved to be the South African's last scoring shot as he was bowled by Marshall's next delivery, swinging across the line.

Yorkshire had reached 145-5 from 37.3 overs when the storm intervened and they added 59 runs in the 7.3 overs following the resumption. White went on to an unbeaten on 42, made from 76 balls with two fours and a six, while Tim Bresnan and Richard Pyrah clubbed useful runs to help the score above the magic 200.

Lancashire, requiring 214 under the Duckworth-Lewis readjustment, were soon in trouble as Bresnan had Mal Loye brilliantly caught at square-leg by Lyth and then Law caught behind for a golden duck.

Darren Gough sent back the dangerous Mohammad Yousuf leg-before with his sixth delivery and then accepted a smart caught-and-bowled chance to remove Steven Croft.

But the best ball of the day came from David Wainwright, who tossed up a teasing delivery that beat Gareth Cross's forward-defensive push, turned just enough and clipped the top of off-stump.

Cross batted well for 41, but far better players than the 23-year-old opener would have been undone by a delivery that was very much the classic left-arm spinner's dismissal.

Lancashire fought back through a sixth-wicket stand of 62 between du Plessis and Sutton, before du Plessis and Hogg added 57.

Glen Chapple smashed a quick-fire 13 to seal the win on an evening when the atmosphere became increasingly rowdy.

Gough was subjected to repeated taunts about his weight but showed humour in responding to cries of "Goughie, Goughie, give us a dance".

The former England fast bowler performed a little twirl on the way back to his bowling mark, but he had little reason for frivolity come the close of play.


Display of the day

Francois Du Plessis

Yorkshire looked to have the game in the bag before the South African scored an undefeated 77, made from 80 balls, five fours and a six.