Yorkshire Carnegie v Lancashire Lightning: Yorkshire back in the hunt following Roses win

Mercifully, not even Twenty20 cricket has embraced the dreaded plastic trumpet that is presently ruining football's World Cup.

Instead, Twenty20's gimmicks seem tolerable by comparison: bouncy castles, hot tubs, cheerleaders and face painting.

And last night showcased the best of the concept, which has struggled to catch fire in England this summer.

Twenty20 crowds have been dwindling of late, suggesting limited appetite for the extended competition.

Less than 12,000 watched Yorkshire's opening three home matches as administrators throttle the golden goose.

Even a showpiece occasion such as Yorkshire versus Lancashire failed to attract the expected attendance.

Yorkshire officials had been predicting a crowd of around 16,500, but only 10,200 turned out on a golden evening.

The atmosphere was nevertheless colourful and vibrant for Yorkshire's showpiece county game of the season.

To the delight of the majority of a shirt-sleeved crowd, the home side triumphed in impressive style, running out victors by 17 runs.

Inspired by Anthony McGrath's Twenty20 career-best 73 not out, Yorkshire totalled a competitive – if not commanding – 155-6.

In reply, Lancashire were skilfully stymied by spinners Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq, who took 3-47 in a combined eight overs and were backed up by a brilliant fielding performance, with Richard Pyrah particularly inspired.

Steve Patterson chipped in with 4-30, including three wickets in his final over as Lancashire's slogging became ever-desperate, the visitors staggering to 138 all-out.

After three defeats in their opening four games, Yorkshire have reignited their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

They have 11 group games remaining, starting with today's trip to Durham (5.30pm start), and moved off the bottom of the North Division with this result.

There remain plenty of areas to work on: the top-order batting has yet to fire consistently despite one or two impressive individual displays, while West Indian pace bowler Tino Best conceded 0-43 on his Yorkshire Twenty20 debut, although played his part with two good catches.

But Yorkshire look to have the firepower to do well in the tournament as they look to rid themselves of the stigma of having never reached a finals day.

After yesterday's match ball was delivered by RAF parachutists, who were loudly cheered as they dropped from the sky, Yorkshire opted to bat on a slow-paced pitch.

It was the first time Andrew Gale's men have taken first strike in Twenty20 this season and they did not enjoy the best of starts.

Herschelle Gibbs – promoted to open instead of Jacques Rudolph – was dropped by wicketkeeper Gareth Cross from the game's third ball, bowled by off-spinner Nathan McCullum.

From the first ball of the next over, Gibbs popped back a return catch to Tom Smith as Yorkshire slipped to 1-1.

When Rudolph perished to the last delivery of the fourth over, bowled trying to late-cut Sajid Mahmood, Yorkshire were 27-2 and in a spot of bother.

It required some welcome acceleration from Gale to get the innings going, the captain striking 34 from 30 balls before holing out to deep mid-wicket with the total on 60 at the halfway stage.

Over to McGrath, one of Yorkshire's leading Twenty20 performers.

The former captain signalled his intent by crashing a delivery from left-arm spinner Simon Katich against the press box window, a shot that brought the West Stand to its feet.

Gerard Brophy and Jonathan Bairstow departed to catches in the deep as Yorkshire slid to

104-5 in the 16th over, but McGrath kept his head in the glorious sunshine to provide the impetus sorely needed.

The former England all-rounder hammered Mahmood for six, this time over square-leg, and struck Glen Chapple for two sixes and a four in the penultimate over after Adil Rashid had perished to a catch at deep mid-wicket.

Yorkshire scored 52 from the last five overs to give their bowlers something to defend, McGrath striking 37 off his own bat.

Tom Smith returned 2-13 from three overs, while McCullum conceded a miserly 19 runs from four overs in a generally handy bowling performance.

Lancashire's fielding was also impressive, exemplified by a fine display by Steven Croft, who threw himself around with Pyrah-esque athleticism.

Patterson bowled Smith early in the Lancashire innings but the second-wicket pair of Paul Horton and Simon Katich looked to have given their side a useful platform, adding 40 in five overs.

But when Gibbs ran-out Horton following a silly mix-up, the innings disintegrated in the face of canny bowling from Rashid and Rafiq.

Wickets fell in an unholy clatter towards the end, Patterson's dismissal of Chapple being particularly memorable.

The Lancashire captain looked to have cleared the rope at long-off only for Pyrah to claim a stunning overhead catch.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Anthony McGrath

Made an unbeaten 73 from 50 balls with five fours and four sixes.

Yorkshire v Lancashire

Headingley Carnegie: Yorkshire beat Lancashire by 17 runs

Yorkshire

H H Gibbs c & b Smith 1

A W Gale c Moore b Parry 34

J A Rudolph b Mahmood 8

A McGrath not out 73

G L Brophy c Smith b Parry 4

J M Bairstow c Horton b Smith 10

A U Rashid c Mahmood b Chapple 9

R M Pyrah not out 5

Extras b1 lb7 w3 11

Total 6 wkts (20 overs) 155

Fall: 1-1 2-27 3-60 4-83 5-104 6-131.

Did Not Bat: T L Best, Azeem Rafiq, S A Patterson.

Bowling: McCullum 4 0 19 0; Smith 3 0 13 2; Chapple 4 0 38 1; Mahmood 4 0 35 1; Parry 4 0 32 2; Katich 1 0 10 0.

Lancashire

P J Horton run out 30

T C Smith b Patterson 1

S M Katich c & b A U Rashid 27

S C Moore c Best b A U Rashid 9

S J Croft b Pyrah 13

N L McCullum c Pyrah b Rafiq 11

M J Chilton c Rudolph b Patterson 5

G D Cross c Best b Patterson 15

G Chapple c Pyrah b Patterson 6

S I Mahmood c Gibbs b Pyrah 8

S D Parry not out 2

Extras lb7 w2 nb2 11

Total (19.1 overs) 138

Fall: 1-6 2-46 3-63 4-72 5-89 6-98

7-122 8-122 9-128.

Bowling: Best 4 0 43 0; Patterson 4 0 30 4; Pyrah 3.1 0 11 2; A U Rashid 4 0 22 2; Rafiq 4 0 25 1.

P W L T NR Pts

Nottinghamshire 6 5 1 0 0 10

Warwickshire 5 3 1 0 1 7

Durham 6 2 2 0 2 6

Lancashire 6 2 3 0 1 5

Derbyshire 6 2 3 0 1 5

Yorkshire 5 2 3 0 0 4

Leicestershire 4 2 2 0 0 4

Northamptonshire 5 2 3 0 0 4

Worcestershire 5 1 3 0 1 3