Yorkshire CCC keep that winning feeling with fine Roses win

But after a morale-boosting triumph against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, which ended a run of nine defeats in 12 games dating back to last August, Yorkshire followed up with an even more impressive result to defeat the old enemy by 15 runs.

Sent into bat on a typically good pitch, with Headingley one of the better grounds these days for T20 run-fests, Yorkshire scored 195-6, Dawid Malan leading the way with 83 from 50 balls with eight fours and four sixes, and Colin de Grandhomme, the New Zealand all-rounder, returning Lancashire’s best figures of 3-24.

In reply, Yorkshire bowled and fielded with tigerish determination, David Wiese and Ben Mike both taking 2-31 and Tom Hartley, the No 8, top-scoring with 39 from 21 balls with four sixes.

The match began beneath cloudy skies and with many spectators still outside the ground amid reports of traffic chaos in the surrounding area due to an accident.

The latecomers missed Adam Lyth ending the opening over from Luke Wood with four successive boundaries, Wood also sending down a wide in a poor start by Lancashire.

Malan, making his 300th T20 appearance, lashed two boundaries in the second over from Tom Bailey, and Yorkshire were 59-0 at the end of the six-over powerplay, Malan adding a leg-side six to his tally off left-armer Wood.

The only downside for Yorkshire’s supporters was the unseasonable chill; may watched in coats and layers of some description - a balmy and sunny start to June this definitely was not.

Malan, fresh from an unbeaten 95 against Nottinghamshire, his highest T20 score for Yorkshire, looked in good touch again, the left-hander adding a second six when he whacked leg-spinner Matt Parkinson back over his head towards the Carnegie Pavilion.

Malan’s half-century soon arrived from 33 balls, assisted by six fours, and the opening stand had realised 88 by the time de Grandhomme ended it with his first delivery - the opening ball of the 10th over - when Lyth pulled to deep mid-wicket in front of a West Stand that seemed rather more becalmed than usual, perhaps because it was so ruddy cold.

Lancashire missed a golden chance to dismiss Malan on 63 with the score 105-1 in the 12th over, but Parkinson made a hash of a top-edged pull off de Grandhomme at short fine-leg, much to his mortification and the home crowd’s mirth. But it was the visiting fans who were cheering when Will Luxton pulled Grandhomme’s next delivery into the hands of Wood at deep square-leg.

Malan added two further sixes as he lofted spinners Hartley and Liam Livingstone over mid-wicket and backward square-leg respectively, but thoughts that he might mark his milestone T20 appearance with a hundred were quashed when, in striking Livingstone inside-out towards the West Stand, he holed out to Phil Salt on the cover boundary. De Grandhomme claimed his third wicket when Shan Masood pulled out towards the West Stand, where Hartley ignored any cries of “drop it, drop it” with a fine leaping catch.

Jordan Thompson provided some much-needed oomph towards the finish, spoiling de Grandhomme’s figures with a mighty leg-side six and then another over backward-square off Wood, whose return of 0-55 was the joint-most expensive analysis for Lancashire in Roses T20s, alongside Yasir Arafat at Headingley in 2012.

Thompson was brilliantly held high and one-handed by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler in the final over, bowled by Daryl Mitchell, who struck again when Wiese pulled to deep square-leg. Matty Revis ended unbeaten on 24 as Lancashire were left to reflect on a patchy bowling and fielding display.

Buttler, fresh from three ducks in his last three innings at the Indian Premier League, at least went one run better this time before skying Dom Bess’s first delivery - the opening ball of the second over - to Wiese at mid-off.

After that wretched giveaway, Steven Croft was guilty of another, skying Thompson to Wiese at mid-off after earlier striking that catcher for two huge sixes over backward square-leg beneath the West Stand scoreboard.

Lancashire fell to 64-4 when Mike claimed two wickets in four balls in the seventh over, Luke Wells picking out deep backward-square and Salt clubbing back a straightforward return.

Mitchell holed out at long-on off wrist-spinner Jafer Chohan; Livingstone skied Wiese high into the night sky and was caught by keeper Jonny Tattersall, who then held de Grandhomme off Wiese before Hartley was run out, Lancashire ending on 180-8.