Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. Jonny Bairstow celebrates his fifty career T20 hundred, and his first in a Roses game.
Lancashire Lightning v Yorkshire
Vitality Blast, North Group
Friday July 11, 2025, 7pm
Emirates Old Trafford
Toss: Yorkshire won it and elected to bat
Teams – Lancashire: Keaton Jennings c, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler w, Ashton Turner, Luke Wells, Michael Jones, Chris Green, Jack Blatherwick, Tom Hartley, Luke Wood, Sir James Anderson.
Yorkshire: Dawid Malan c, Jonny Bairstow w, Will Luxton, James Wharton, Abdullah Shafique, Will Sutherland, Dom Bess, Jordan Thompson, Jafer Chohan, Matt Milnes, Dan Moriarty.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. Will Luxton was fabulous en-route to a career best 90 not out.
Match Summary: On a night when Oasis were playing a gig across the city at Heaton Park, Jonny Bairstow delivered Yorkshire’s Masterplan with a sensational career best 116 off 54 balls to see off the old enemy and keep their slim quarter-final hopes alive.
Yorkshire posted 236-6, with opener Bairstow and second-wicket partner Will Luxton – 90 not out off 46 – sensational in sharing a record-breaking 167.
That was crucial in delivering a fourth win in 11 North Group games and keeping the Red Rose fans quiet.
Yorkshire’s third successive Roses win was their first at this venue since 2014 and stymied Lancashire’s bid for the quarter-finals. They have now lost four in 11, with Jos Buttler’s 55 off 33 balls not enough as the hosts posted 217-7, losing by 19.
Jordan Thompson struck twice, and Dom Bess a wicket, two catches and had a hand in a run out.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. Dom Bess is congratulated after taking one his two catches this evening.
Match Report: Yorkshire lost Dawid Malan early to Luke Wood but started quickly by reaching 33-1 after three overs.
Bairstow pulled Sir James Anderson for an early six and later hammered him over long-on as he reached 50 off 24 balls inside the powerplay, which ended with Yorkshire in rude health at 72-1.
Bairstow and Luxton, who also posted a career best score, then increased the pressure, particularly on England white-ball spinner Tom Hartley, whose only two overs went for 39.
The pair took him on successfully down the ground, hitting three sixes as 24 came from the 10th and Yorkshire reached halfway at 115-1.
Bairstow was sensationally savage on anything full or short.
He was struck a nasty blow to the neck by a Jack Blatherwick bouncer, but it didn’t bother him one bit as he reached a 49-ball century – the fifth of his career.
Luxton enjoyed more fortune – dropped three times as Lancashire’s fielders struggled to deal with the sun. They hardly got a mitt on any of the chances.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. The scene at Emirates Old Trafford this evening.
Luxton was noticeably dominant down the ground.
After Bairstow was caught at deep mid-wicket off Chris Green’s off-spin, Luxton was starved off the strike late on and was unable to follow his partner to three figures.
Australian Green claimed three of four wickets to fall in a final over which went for only three runs, finishing with 4-34.
There was no doubt, however, that Yorkshire were in pole position in front of a crowd just shy of 15,000.
Lancashire also started brightly with the bat, but Keaton Jennings was the subject of a smart back-peddling catch from Dom Bess at mid-on off Will Sutherland – 31-1 in the third over.
Buttler and Phil Salt then shared 72 in seven overs to raise home hopes, but the latter was caught at long-on for 38 by Bess off Thompson’s seam as the score reached 106-2 after 10 overs.
Thompson and Bess, with his off-spin, then struck twice in as many overs as Yorkshire took control. Buttler was caught behind off a top-edged pull and Luke Wells brilliantly held by James Wharton diving forwards at long on – 133-4 in the 13th.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. Jordan Thompson was at the heart of the action in his penultimate Roses game with two wickets.
From there, Yorkshire comfortably wrapped up a third straight Roses win following two in the last two seasons at Headingley.
Five of the six Yorkshire bowlers used all struck at least once.
Stat of the Match: The partnership of 167 between Jonny Bairstow and Will Luxton, for the second wicket, is now Yorkshire’s highest ever for any wicket in the history of the Vitality Blast.
Turning Point: Yorkshire were already on the charge, but Will Luxton dropped on 45 by Phil Salt at long-on off Jack Blatherwick, which would have left Yorkshire 123-2 in the 11th over, felt like a huge moment.
Magic Moment: Not quite a moment, but it was magic. The Yorkshire innings will live long in the memory. Jonny Bairstow and Will Luxton were sensational.
Lancashire, to be fair to them, batted well in response. And their total would win many a match. But not tonight.
Roses cricket rarely fails to deliver. It was a sensational North West night.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. Jonny Bairstow is struck by a Jack Blatherwick bouncer.
What They Said – Jonny Bairstow: “I’m pretty happy. Any time you come over here and play in a Roses game, they’re always great fun to play in. It’s generally a packed house with two good teams on show.
“Whenever you play in front of people, it’s always a great thing to do and a great stage. You play the game to play in these big games, and you want to put on a show.
“We didn’t say much, myself and Will. You just let him do what he needs to do. He’s a special talent, isn’t he. The way he strikes the ball so clean and free and fearless, is something that is – like I said on Sky – a gift.
“We let ourselves down quite drastically at Chesterfield, and it’s something we needed to redress coming here. We’ve got Sunday too. We can’t rest on our laurels. It’s a decent win, but we need to put right what we didn’t do right at Chesterfield.”
What’s Next: Yorkshire are back in Blast action on Sunday afternoon, taking on Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley (3pm). It forms part of a Blast double-header day with Yorkshire’s women, who face Northamptonshire Steelbacks from 11am.
Picture by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images. James Wharton dives forward at long-on to help Dom Bess remove Luke Wells.
