Yorkshire make it three wins from four in the Vitality Blast

Opener Aneurin Donald hit the fastest T20 fifty in their history, from 19 balls, and went on to a career-best 84 from 41 deliveries.

David Lloyd, his opening partner, contributed 41 from 30, the pair sharing 114 in the first 10 overs.

Having hit 16 boundaries in the first half of their innings, Derbyshire managed only four in the second half, two of them in the final over bowled by Joe Root, Yorkshire’s most successful performer with 2-20.

The visitors stuttered to a closing score of 179-6, one that was never likely to be sufficient on a good batting pitch.

Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan shared 137 for the first Yorkshire wicket, Lyth striking 84 from 51 balls with eight fours and four sixes, and Malan an undefeated 79 from 48 deliveries with eight fours and three sixes.

The hosts eased home by nine wickets with 11 balls left, making it three wins from four in this season’s Blast.

Yorkshire return to action on Friday when they face Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston, Shan Masood’s men having fought back strongly from a heavy defeat in their second game away to Leicestershire.

Rain delayed the start of this match by 15 minutes on a mostly overcast day, Yorkshire winning the toss and choosing to bowl.

There was a touching moment before play when the sides observed a minute’s silence for Rob Burrow, the rugby league legend who died on June 2, aged 41.

Earlier, the women’s players had also paid their respects ahead of the Charlotte Edwards Cup game between Northern Diamonds and The Blaze.

Meanwhile, outside the adjoining rugby ground, there were numerous floral tributes to Burrow, with people flocking to pay their respects and lingering a while in silent tribute.

Sunshine was threatening but still failing to peek through when play got going here, a crowd of 5,611 present for the men’s fixture.

After Dan Moriarty opened from The Howard Stand end, conceding just three runs from the first over, Masood threw the ball to Ben Cliff, the 21-year-old pace bowler on T20 debut.

Cliff, a beneficiary of an injury list that rendered the non-selection of new loan signing Conor McKerr a surprise to say the least, had a mixed start, David Lloyd cutting his first two balls to the boundary before being dropped off the third, James Wharton spilling a hard-hit opportunity at cover.

In his next over, Cliff was pulled for another boundary by Lloyd, and then driven beautifully for four through the covers by Donald, who then took Matty Revis for two fours and two leg-side sixes in a fifth over that disappeared for 22.

When Dom Bess’s first over cost 16, Derbyshire were 70-0 at the end of the powerplay, Donald going to his fifty in the next over. The 100 stand came up from 8.2 overs and the visitors were 114-0 at halfway, a total well in excess of 200 seemingly on the cards.

They lost their first wicket to the first delivery of the 11th over, Lloyd lofting Jordan Thompson to Revis at deep mid-wicket in front of the East Stand, where the patrons no doubt breathed a sigh of relief.

A second wicket arrived in the next over when Wayne Madsen tried a horrible reverse hit at Bess and was bowled, then the dangerous Samit Patel sliced Revis to short third-man.

Yorkshire pegged things back well and the returning Cliff accounted for Donald, who picked out a leaping Thompson on the cover boundary, a nice moment for the young man, his friends and family.

Ross Whiteley, who once hit six sixes in an over here for Worcestershire, swept Root to Moriarty at long-leg, Root taking his second wicket in the final over when Brooke Guest lofted to Thompson at deep mid-wicket.

Lyth soon knocked off the 11 runs he needed to become the first man to score 4,000 T20 runs for Yorkshire, and he looked in the mood as the floodlights beamed down. The splendidly named Daryn Dupavillon was lofted for six over cover, then Zak Chappell pulled for an identical outcome.

But when he had 37, Lyth should have fallen, Patel spilling a fairly simple chance at cover off spinner Alex Thomson.

When they next faced off, Lyth powered Thomson for six over mid-wicket, a feat he repeated in the bowler’s next over.

Lyth was dropped for a second time on 74, by Pat Brown at deep point off Dupavillon, the ball going to the boundary for good measure.

But his luck ran out in Dupavillon’s next over when he sliced to Cam Fletcher running in from long-off.

Malan continued on his merry way, driving the ball with tremendous power, and Root helped apply the coup de grace with an unbeaten 14.