Lancashire v Yorkshire Twenty2o Blast: White Rose knocked out without a ball bowled at Old Trafford

Had they beaten Lancashire under the Old Trafford floodlights, that could still have been the case, with the rest of the north group's would-be quarter-finalists having a game in hand on Sunday. And even had they won the whole competition for the first time in their history, there is always the looming probability of a points deduction for the racism charges the cricketing authorities have been dragging their feet so spectacularly over.

So in the end perhaps it was kinder for Yorkshire's final Twenty20 game of the group – of the year, it now turns out – to fall prey to the Manchester rain, albeit those who dragged themselves across the Pennines to watch might not see it that way.

When play was officially abandoned at 8.42pm it became the third Twenty20 match in Roses history not to have a ball bowled in it.

The White Rose county now have a free week to prepare for their County Championship game at Worcestershire, which starts a week on Monday (July 10). Pakistani captain Shan Masood will head to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series but is expected back in August.