Dawid Malan and Jordan Thompson keep Yorkshire CCC alive in the Vitality Blast

With four balls left, Jordan Thompson hit the winning boundary soon after the cathedral bells had chimed five o’clock, the crowd dispersing to catch the game in Germany.

There have been plenty of times this season when Yorkshire should have got over the line but have not done so, and this was the complete opposite.

At 74-1 at halfway, needing 132 off the last 10 overs, they looked out of it, but Thompson thumped 40 from 14 balls with four sixes and Dawid Malan anchored with an unbeaten 93 from 50 with five sixes, the pair adding 49 in 18 deliveries.

Throw in a cameo from James Wharton, who biffed a breezy 24, and a nervous finish by a Worcestershire team who got a lot of things right but cracked under pressure, and Yorkshire did just enough.

A chase of 206 was the second-highest in their T20 history, behind a target of 208 achieved against Durham at Leeds two years ago, on an afternoon when defeat would have ended their hopes.

Worcestershire’s total of 205-6, after being sent into bat, featured four significant rather than substantial contributions. Ethan Brookes struck 44 from 21, Brett D’Oliveira 42 from 28, Rob Jones 35 not out from 25, and Josh Cobb 34 from 22, handy knocks all.

There were seven wides and a no-ball in the Yorkshire bowling column, with only Jafer Chohan standing out. The leg-spinner followed his career-best 5-14 against Durham at Headingley on Thursday with another fine return of 4-30.

On a cloudy day, Yorkshire were unchanged from the Durham game, rain having washed out the scheduled Roses match 24 hours later, while Worcestershire were missing two key batsmen in Adam Hose (groin) and Kashif Ali (side strain).

On a used pitch, Ben Cliff, the promising 21-year-old making just his fourth T20 appearance, was reminded of the fluctuating fortunes in this format of the game in a good powerplay for the hosts.

They ended it on 67-1 after six, Cliff’s return of 1-42 from three overs in contrast to his 1-18 from three in the powerplay against Durham.

He conceded three sixes and four fours along the way, although Cliff did have Ed Pollock skying to mid-on.

Yorkshire looked somewhat untidy, if truth be told, but Chohan dragged them back into it with a wicket and just three runs conceded in his first over.

D’Oliveira advanced and was stumped, ending a stand of 64 for the second wicket with Cobb in 31 balls, and Chohan claimed another in his second over when Gareth Roderick tried to reverse sweep and was bowled for his trouble.

Worcestershire were 106-3 at halfway, Brookes collecting three boundaries off Dan Moriarty’s final over as the left-arm spinner finished with 0-39.

Chohan, his red boots contrasting sharply with the visitors’ light blue kit, captured his third when Cobb skied to Dom Bess at long-off, breaking a partnership with Brookes of 41 in 19 balls.

Brookes swept the wrist-spinner for six in his final over but then lofted him lazily to cover, taking one hand off the bat in the process in a peculiar end to a career-best display.

Jake Libby was run out off the final ball of the innings, having added 48 with Jones from 25 deliveries.

Thus Matthew Waite, carded to come in at No 8, did not even make it to the middle, having struck an unbeaten 36 from eight balls with five sixes - followed by figures of 4-29 - in Friday’s surprise victory at leaders Birmingham.

Yorkshire did not lose a wicket in the powerplay chase but scored only 41 during it, 16 of them off Waite’s first over.

Adam Lyth unusually struggled for timing, with Malan the dominant presence of the opening pair.

Eventually, the pressure told and Lyth fell to the opening ball of the 10th over, lofting Brookes to deep cover to depart for 22 from 29, leaving Yorkshire 66-1.

The required rate had risen above 13 at the halfway stage but Malan went to his half-century from 32 balls with a leg-side six off Waite, Wharton upping the ante in a stand of 48 in four overs before picking out long-off.

Donovan Ferreira clubbed his second ball for six before striking his fourth to cover, and Shan Masood was held at long-off.

But Malan paced matters superbly and Thompson went into overdrive at the end, substitute Olly Cox having dropped him at long-off off Waite when his score was 12.

It was a key moment.

As Waite left the fray with what appeared to be a side injury, Yorkshire came through in thrilling style to fight another day.