Yorkshire's Azeem Rafiq dreaming of Lord's final in Royal London One Day Cup

Rafiq produced a match-winning display as Yorkshire rounded off the group stages of the Royal London One Day Cup with a 20-run win over Leicestershire on Tuesday.

The off-spinner smashed a vital half century - reaching the milestone with a straight six - before taking two crucial wickets in successive deliveries to guide Yorkshire into a home quarter-final play-off.

The Vikings won six of their eight group matches but were pipped at the top of the table by Worcestershire, who advance straight to the semi-finals.

Rafiq said: "At the start of the comp, if anyone had said we'd win six out of eight, I would have snapped their hand off.

"More than the wins, the way we have gone about our cricket has been impressive. The crowds will back that up.

"We have really enjoyed it, we have played entertaining credit. and left everything out there for the cause. It's nice to get the wins. But the way we have gone about it, brilliantly led by Gary Ballance - I couldn't say enough about how brilliant he has been.

"Everyone sees what's happening on the field but off it, he's been absolutely phenomenal."

Worcestershire's five-wicket win over Derbyshire on Tuesday night meant Yorkshire are still two games away from reaching a first Lord's final this decade.

On possibility of a Lord's final, Rafiq added: "We can all dream. We have to dream. Second to playing international cricket, it's what you want to be part of. You want to win the County Championship. A Lord's final has a lot of history and it would mean the world to us to get there."

Yorkshire made a solid start having lost the toss and openers Adam Lyth (52) and Alex Lees (23), who scored a double hundred in the Bradford League on Saturday, shared 72 for the opening wicket.

A wobble then saw four wickets fall for just 26 runs before the imperious figure of captain Gary Ballance steadied the innings alongside Tim Bresnan (34).

Ballance compiled 71 as he passed 1,000 runs in 2017 before falling onto his stumps for a second time in the One Day competition this summer.

At the other end, Rafiq amounted a string of lusty blows - including back to back sixes off Tom Wells - as he smashed 52 from 30 balls, surviving a dropped catch by Dieter Klein on two.

Bresnan struck three balls into Leicestershire's reply by removing Mark Pettini caught at second slip for a duck.

But a century stand between Cameron Delport (68) and Ned Eckersley (46) put the game firmly in the visitors grip.

That was until Rafiq entered the fray and he removed Delport to a Lees catch before dismissing Mark Cosgrove with a spitting off-break two balls later.

Rafiq's spin-bowling partner Karl Carver excelled at the other end in a nine-over spell, taking three for 24.

The spinner's looked to have swung the pendulum back towards Yorkshire until Foxes captain Clint McKay hit back-to-back sixes off Ben Coad with Klein striking three fours too.

With 28 required from the last four overs, it remained on a knife-edge until McKay spooned Fisher to Leaning at deep square leg.

No. 11 Gavin Griffiths then played out eight dot balls and the pressure mounted on Klein attempted, who gifted Matt Fisher with a low catch off Matthew Waite's bowling to give Yorkshire the win with 14 balls remaining.

Rafiq said: "It was nice to get wickets but a lot of credit has to go to the young guys.

"The way Karl bowled, and and then Matthew Waite and Matthew Fisher coming back after only bowling two overs. Between the three of them, it's not the first time they have held their nerve at the death.

"It's so exciting to see. They've been given their chance this year. What Ben Coad has done in the Championship has given everyone that bit of belief. It's brilliant to see.

"(To win without the England players) is the biggest thing. Everyone knows when the England boys are here it's a phenomenal side.

"You go in there and think we are going to win.

"The young boys, the way they won the derby game at the death. A lot of credit has to go to the coaching staff and the captain for giving them their chance."