Herschelle Gibbs, above, smashed a brilliant maiden 20-over century for Yorkshire before Northamptonshire secured an amazing tie at Wantage Road tonight to prevent Carnegie from claiming their sixth Friends Provident t20 win of the season.

The Steelbacks needed 13 off the last ball of the match - but Richard Pyrah bowled a waist high full-toss which Nicky Boje hit for six over fine-leg and which was given as a no-ball at the same time. The hosts needed five runs to win and four to secure a point: Pyrah bowled the last ball again - and South African left-hander Boje split the two leg-side fielders to reach the long-on fence, leaving Pyrah disconsolate on his knees in the middle of the pitch.

Gibbs earlier helped the White Rose to post a daunting 180-3. He cracked eight fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 101 off 53 balls - sharing an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 73 in the last five overs with Jonny Bairstow, who finished on 32 not out off 14 balls.

Carnegie were cock-a-hoop at the halfway stage - but they were soon brought back to earth as Steelbacks openers Chaminda Vaas and David Sales continued the night’s clean striking. They shared a first-wicket partnership of 101 inside 12 overs, taking a liking to Tino Best, Steven Patterson, Pyrah and Azeem Rafiq in particular.

Best returned for an impressive 12th over, having Sales caught behind by Gerard Brophy for 49 off 33 balls, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid continued his fine tournament with a four-over spell of 1-22 to put Carnegie back on top. Adil had Vaas caught by Rafiq at mid-wicket for 53 off 39 in the 13th.

Zimbabwean Elton Chigumbura found Rashid on the deep mid-wicket fence off another Pyrah full toss in the 15th over, and Carnegie were on course for two points with Steelbacks 123-3.

Irish wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien hit Anthony McGrath for two successive sixes in the next to keep home hopes alive, but McGrath bowled a magnificent last-but-one over to seemingly snuff them out again: the medium-pacer had both O’Brien and Andrew Hall caught in the deep - going for only three runs from the six balls. It left Pyrah to defend 18 runs in the last over.

Carnegie face Warwickshire Bears at Headingley Carnegie on Sunday afternoon.

GRAHAM HARDCASTLE