Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jordan Thompson was one of three Yorkshire bowlers to take two wickets.
Yorkshire v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, North Group
Thursday July 17, 2025, 6.30pm
Headingley
Toss: Lancashire won it and elected to bat
Teams – Yorkshire: Jonny Bairstow w, Dawid Malan c, Will Luxton, James Wharton, Abdullah Shafique, Will Sutherland, Jordan Thompson, Dom Bess, Matt Milnes, Jafer Chohan, Dan Moriarty.
Lancashire: Phil Salt, Keaton Jennings c, Jos Buttler w, Luke Wells, Ashton Turner, Matty Hurst, Chris Green, Jack Blatherwick, Tom Aspinwall, Luke Wood, Sir James Anderson.
Match Summary: Lancashire evened up the season’s ledger in the Vitality Blast.
After losing to Yorkshire at Emirates Old Trafford last Friday, they won by 21 runs tonight at Headingley in defence of a 175 target.
England white-ball star Jos Buttler top-scored with 77 off 46 balls in the Lightning’s 174 all out, including two wickets apiece for Jafer Chohan, Matt Milnes and Jordan Thompson.
Pakistani overseas batter Abdullah Shafique then hit 54 off 34 balls to put Yorkshire in a strong position, but the group leaders bounced back to bowl the hosts out for 153.
Sir James Anderson claimed 3-25 with his seamers, while Australian off-spinner Chris Green impressed with 3-27 on a night when the Lightning qualified for the quarter-finals and secured a home tie in the last eight with it.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jos Buttler was Lancashire’s standout performer with the bat this evening.
Match Report: Yorkshire went into this fixture already out of contention for the quarter-finals, and ended up losing their ninth game in 13.
This was a topsy-turvy, pulsating affair in front of just shy of 15,000 fans.
Both teams had their chances. Ultimately, Lancashire showed why they are group leaders, ending a run of three straight Roses defeats.
Phil Salt drove the first two balls of the match from Matt Milnes for four, but Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin had Keaton Jennings caught at mid-wicket to leave the Lightning at 23-1 after three overs.
Salt started and ended the powerplay positively, slog-sweeping Moriarty for six as 15 came from the sixth over, which ended with 58 on the board.
But Lancashire stumbled as Jafer Chohan’s leg-spin had Salt caught at deep square-leg slog-sweeping for 42 with his first ball and bowled Ashton Turner two balls later – 65-3 in the eighth.
Buttler launched sixes in successive overs against spin over long-on. The first, against Dom Bess, took him beyond 13,000 T20 career runs.
Alex Hales is the only other English batter to achieve the same feat, and they are amongst only seven batters worldwide to do so. He may be an adopted Lancastrian, but he is some player to watch.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jafer Chohan celebrates the wicket of Ashton Turner.
Buttler reached his third fifty in six Blast innings this season, this one off 26 balls. By that time, Lancashire were 121-4 after 13 overs having lost Luke Wells to Jordan Thompson’s seam.
Despite Buttler’s presence, Yorkshire took regular wickets to stymie progression on a pitch which wasn’t quite the usual Headingley road. Runs could be scored, bowlers were kept interested.
Milnes struck twice and Will Sutherland once late on as the Red Rose fell short of the 200 or more total which has been king at Headingley this season.
There were two run outs, including Buttler, amongst three wickets to fall in Thompson’s last over.
Wickets continued fall, though.
Luke Wood bowled Jonny Bairstow for five eight balls into Yorkshire’s reply before Sir James Anderson had Will Luxton caught at deep midwicket – 24-2 in the third over.
Lancashire’s quarter-final qualification was confirmed soon after, with Nottinghamshire’s defeat to Worcestershire. But they wanted a home quarter-final.
Anderson removed Dawid Malan caught at mid-off before Chris Green bowled a reverse-sweeping James Wharton to tip the balance at 66-4 in the eighth over.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Abdullah Shafique celebrates his maiden Yorkshire fifty.
But, as wickets fell – Bess was caught behind off Wood soon after, Shafique was strong down the ground.
Shafique and Australian Sutherland put Yorkshire in a strong position at 132-5 in the 15th, needing 43 more.
However, Shafique pulled Anderson to deep square-leg and Thompson was caught and bowled off Green, turning the tide again at 137-7 in the 16th.
Excellent Green trapped Milnes lbw and Tom Aspinwall removed Sutherland for 28 with successive balls at the end of the 18th over and the start of the 19th – 151-9.
Defending 22 off the last over, Jack Blatherwick then had Chohan caught with the first ball.
Turning Point: The dismissal of Abdullah Shafique, caught at deep square-leg pulling at Sir James Anderson. It left Yorkshire at 132-6 after 14.4 overs, ending a partnership of 35 with Will Sutherland. It was a stand which was building nicely for the White Rose. But upon the Pakistani’s departure, Lancashire closed things out.
Magic Moment: The run out of Jos Buttler for 77, coming back for two to long-on, was superb. Buttler drilled a full Jordan Thompson ball to long-on, where Will Sutherland picked up cleanly. It would have been so easy to throw at the non-striker’s end, but he didn’t. He went for the main prize, and achieved it with the help of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.
Stat of the Match: Jordan Thompson is aiming to become only the second Yorkshire player to post 1,000 runs and take 100 T20 wickets for the county, after Tim Bresnan.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Lancashire’s three-wicket seamer Sir James Anderson talks to Jack Blatherwick (right).
Thompson has already topped the 1,000-run mark and tonight moved to 97 wickets.
Given he’s moving to Warwickshire this winter, he has only got tomorrow at Leicestershire to take the wickets he needs.
What They Said – Jordan Thompson: “We found ourselves in a good position there, and I’m pretty disappointed personally not to get us over the line. I played a little soft shot, chipped back to Chris Green when we were trying to take it deep and down to the final over.
“There’s something in the back of my mind now screaming, ‘Run down and try and smack him over the Howard Stand’. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way.
“I felt like we kept them to a decent score there. The pitch held a bit and nipped around. But it was a chaseable score with our team. Unfortunately, we fell short.
“We haven’t chased well in the past. And look, it’s a dead rubber. But those are the kind of games when you’re fighting for qualification in the future, you’ve got to be winning. It’s something we’ve not done consistently for a few years.
“Hopefully it’s not my last game here for Yorkshire, and hopefully Durham in the Championship in September will be a nice send off.”
What’s Next: Yorkshire round off their campaign against Leicestershire Foxes at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road (6.30pm). It’s the second part of a Blast double header day. Yorkshire’s women face their Leicestershire counterparts from 2.30pm.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Headingley Roses nights are always special, win, lose or tie.
