A damaging batting collapse prevented Yorkshire from starting the Royal London Cup with a second win in three days, as Lancashire comfortably chased 225 at sunny Clifton Park in York.
Yorkshire slipped from 66-0 to 137-7 and later 224 all out having been invited to bat on the same pitch used for Tuesday’s high-scoring win over Northamptonshire here when both teams posted 300 plus totals.
In front of a 4,449 crowd, the Vikings succumbed amidst a number of miscued strokes as only Will Fraine’s 41 topped the 40-mark against a sharp bowling display from the visitors.
Danny Lamb claimed three early and crucial wickets with his wily medium pacers, while New Zealander Will Williams took the new ball and returned an impressive 2-30 from 9.3 overs of seam.
But Luke Wells was their standout performer. After returning 2-25 from eight overs of leg-spin, the former Sussex man hit a List A best of 88 off 67 balls at the top of the order to lead the chase secured with seven wickets in hand and nine overs remaining.
Ben Coad was Yorkshire’s outstanding bowler with a superb 1-19 from his 10 overs.
Hordes of county enthusiasts basked in the Clifton Park sunshine, no doubt all of them wholeheartedly in favour of England Test captain Ben Stokes’ show of support for no reduction in next year’s Championship schedule.
After being inserted on a pitch which held up a touch, Yorkshire will be especially frustrated that nine batters made it to double figures and only three went beyond 30, including Fraine.
Jonny Tattersall with 34 and Tom Loten with 32 not out were the others in this second round Group B fixture.
After a solid start, Yorkshire’s innings was undermined by the loss of the first three wickets in 16 balls.
After Tuesday’s centurions Fraine and Harry Duke had continued their fruitful partnership by sharing 66 inside 12 overs, the score quickly fell to 75 for three in the 14th over and later 137 for seven after 27.
Williams struck first as Duke feathered behind for 17 in the 12th over.
Lamb then struck twice in the 14th, getting Fraine caught at mid-on off a leading edge for 41 and George Hill lbw for a three-ball duck.
Will Luxton played a couple of handsome strokes in matching Duke’s 17, but his departure destabilised things further – edging behind to a tumbling George Lavelle in the 18th.
Jack Blatherwick’s extra pace did for Matthews Waite and Revis, caught and bowled off a leading edge and caught at backward point off a top edge respectively, as the score fell to 132-6 in the 26th.
Dom Bess was then trapped lbw sweeping at Indian overseas off-spinner Washington Sundar, leaving the Vikings 137-7 after 27.
Tattersall’s first competitive innings as Yorkshire’s new captain was now a rearguard effort as he attempted to give his bowlers at least something to bowl at.
Loten hoisted his second ball in List A cricket – a free hit – over square-leg for six off Blatherwick, a brief break from the calm of a 32 stand between himself and Tattersall.
Unfortunately, Tattersall was not able to progress beyond 34 as he was trapped lbw by Wells as the score slipped to 169-8 in the 33rd.
The second highest partnership of the innings, 35 in 10 overs between Loten and Coad, then took Yorkshire to the respectability of a total beyond 200, with the latter adding a useful 20 before miscuing Wells to Sundar running in from long-off – 204-9
Harry Sullivan then picked out deep backward square-leg to hand Williams a second wicket and wrap up the innings nine balls short.
Lancashire started their reply vigilantly, so as to ensure a home fightback wasn’t in the offing.
Fabulous Coad had captain Keaton Jennings caught at first slip for 20 to lift Vikings spirits at 37-1 in the ninth over, but unfortunately success with the ball was few and far between despite him maintaining pressure.
Wells was particularly strong square of the wicket and used his feet confidently against spin, hitting his three sixes over long-on, long-off and mid-wicket.
He dominated a 102-stand with fellow half-centurion Josh Bohannon before pulling Revis to long-leg, leaving the score at 139-2 after 21.
Bohannon then further cemented Lancashire’s position of strength with 51 before dragging Loten onto his stumps. Unfortunately, at 177-3 in the 30th, dragging the game out of the fire remained a bridge too far.
Yorkshire are back in action against Worcestershire at Scarborough on Sunday.