Second placed Leicestershire consolidated their position at the top-end of the Northern Group with an 8-wicket win over Yorkshire at Grace Road. In t20 terms Yorkshire were soundly beaten as the Foxes got home with 22 balls to spare.

Australian, Andrew McDonald took 3-18 wickets and scored 59 not out to win the Man-of-the-Match award and condemn the Tykes to 8th place with 6 Friends Life t20 games remaining.

Yorkshire made 144 as they were all out to the final ball of their 20-overs. They had reached 73-1 in the 9th over as skipper, Andrew Gale (67 from 56 balls with 6 fours), scored his third half-century of this season’s competition. Joe Sayers, recalled at the expense of Anthony McGrath, kept him company with 18 from 13 balls and Adam Lyth with a run-a-ball 13 retained the momentum. But Yorkshire lost their last 9 wickets for 71 runs as they struggled through the final 11 overs.

Left-arm seamer, Harry Gurney, took 3-26 with all of his scalps coming in the final over as the Carnegie candle burned out. But McDonald stemmed the tide after Yorkshire’s good start by dismissing Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance. Ajmal Shahzad added impetus in the middle of the innings with 20 off 11 balls including 2 fours and a huge six off Josh Cobb.

Yorkshire's score looked at least 20 short and so it proved as Cobb and McDonald raced to 74-0 after 7.5 overs. Cobb, who has devastated a few attacks this summer, cracked 46 off 25 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes off Shahzad whose 3 overs cost 43 runs.

Richard Pyrah gave the Tykes a glimmer when he took the wickets of Cobb and Will Jefferson - both snared by Richard Pyrah (2-25), but McDonald and James Taylor (33) added 63 runs in 41 balls as a Foxes victory came far too easily.

Yorkshire must pick themselves up quickly if they are to keep dreams of the Quarter-Finals alive. To their advantage is a Northern Group which is congested and where all teams are beating each other, but the Tykes inability to win since doing the double over Lancashire is a real concern. Andrew Gale’s side play away again against Northants Steelbacks on Friday and then host Notts Outlaws on Sunday at Headingley.

JAMES BUTTLER

MATCH PREVIEW

The Tykes currently sit in 8th place out of 9 teams in a congested Northern Group, but have at least one game in hand on the teams above them and a decent run in the remaining 7 matches could still secure a last-eight place in the competition. Leicestershire Foxes are in second place in the group.

A victory could push Andrew Gale's side into 5th place with 6 matches to play. The top four teams in the group qualify for the Quarter-Finals.

Andrew Gale said: “There is no reason that we can’t still qualify – but we need to put a good run together quickly. Twenty20 cricket is all about momentum. We had it after the wins over Lancashire but we’ve lost it now. We need to get it back as soon as possible and it’s vital we bounce back against Leicestershire.”

Anthony McGrath, who has failed to find his best form this summer, will not be picked in the squad for Leicestershire and will continue to train with the 1st Team squad. Steve Patterson has been ruled out for a month after suffering a side strain.

Ryan Sidebottom returns to action after a short break and he replaces Tim Bresnan who has been recalled to the England ODI squad after recovering from a calf injury.

YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE SQUAD

Andrew GALE (c), Jonny BAIRSTOW (wk), Adam LYTH, Joe ROOT, Gary BALLANCE, Joe SAYERS, Adil RASHID, Ajmal SHAHZAD, Azeem RAFIQ, Richard PYRAH, Ryan SIDEBOTTOM, Anthony McGrath and Moin ASHRAF.

MATCH INFO

HEAD TO HEAD AT GRACE ROAD

Yorkshire won 2, lost 4