With two new batsmen at the crease Sidebottom, who never gives up, charged in with the Headingley faithful wondering whether there was to be a sting in the tail of the match, but the slow start with bat and poor fielding in the opening overs with the ball had given the Tykes too much to do.

Middlesex won the toss and have elected to field in a rain reduced 31 overs-a-side match which did not start until 3.15pm and had early success when Joe Sayers edged Corey Collymore to Neil Dexter at 2nd slip who dropped it, the ball flew to Neil Dexter as 1st slip who dropped it and then dived back and caught the ball at the second attempt - Yorkshire were 1-1.

Andrew Gale and Adam Lyth added 35 for the 2nd wicket when Gale tried to pull Stephen Crook over mid-wicket and top edged a skier back to the bowler. The Yorkshire skipper was out for 15. Anthony McGrath (1) drove Tim Murtagh to mid-n where Crook threw down the stumps with the batsman well short - Yorkshire 41-3.

Adam Lyth had hit Steven Finn over long-off for 4 in the 8th over to take the score to 31-1 but the crowd had to wait another 11 overs for Gary Ballance to find the fence again. Lyth then clipped Murtagh through mid-wicket for four more and Yorkshire were waking up to the fact that this was a rain reduced limited over fixture.

The fifty parternship between Lyth and Ballance arrived in the 22nd over as Ballance went along at more than a run-a-ball. The hundred came up in the 23rd over as the Tykes accelerated with wickets in hand. Ballance drove Finn over mid-wicket for a maximum and went to fifty from 43 balls with 4 fours and a six from the next delivery.

Lyth then carved Crook over mid-wicket for 6 to go to 48 and Ballance belted a full toss over extra cover for 4 and deposited the next delivery into the West Stand and the next ball went to third man as 22 came from the over. The hundred partnershuip arrived in just 83 balls.

Ballance then holed out to Newman off Dexter for 71 from 53 balls including 7 fours and 2 sixes. Lyth followed caught by Dexter to Collymore for 52 from 73 balls including 3 fours and 1 six and Ajmal Shahzad went for a golden duck.

Jonny Bairstow then hit three successive sixes off Collymore and then attempting to make it four in a row was caight at deep mid-wicket off the penultimate ball by Crook who had fallen over only to catch the ball while sitting down. Bairstow had made 33 from 15 balls with 4 sixes.

Yorkshire had scored 27 from the final over to post 196-7.

Middlesex require 197 to win in 31 overs at Headingley and David Malan and Scott Newman got Middlesex off to a great start. After 10 overs they were 55-0 compared yo Yorkshire's 38-2. Newman tried to pull Ben Sanderson over mid-wicket but skied to Sidebottom at mid-on and Middlesex were 59-1. Rashid then had Malan caught behind for 31 and the score was 64-2. Middlesex needed to score at a shade short of 7.5 an over.

A century partnership between Chris Rogers and Paul Stirling took the game away from Yorkshire as the pair found the gaps with increasing frequency and both players notched fine half centuries. The pair had added 116 runs to take Middlesex within 17 runs of victory when Stirling was bowled by Sidebottom (after hitting a four and a six in the same over).

Stirling had made 57 from 40 deliveries including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Chris Rogers followed shortly afterwards for 51 from 46 balls with 6 fours when he sliced Shahzad to Sidebottom at third man but Middlesex were 182-4 and Needed only 15 runs from the remaining 25 balls.

JAMES BUTTLER

MATCH INFO

MATCH PREVIEW

Away wins against Worcestershire and Kent in the early raft of Clydesdale Bank 40 matches seem distant memories now as the second raft of CB40 matches get underway with the match against Middlesex at Headingley on Sunday.

Jacques Rudolph, the prodigal son flies back to the UK too late to resume battle for this fixture. Rudolph's reputation is stronger, if that were possible, after the Tykes struggle with batting consistency which has highlighted how much he has been missed.

Jacques hit 861 CB40 runs last season at an average of 95.66. Those stats included 5 fours and 4 centuries and Yorkshire will hope he returns with somewhere near that record breaking form during his second incarnation. Jacques absence provides one last chance for the batsmen to lay claim to the remaining top order spots.

Yorkshire sit in 5th place of the seven teams in Group A after playing 5 matches. The top side after 12 matches automatically qualifies for the Semi-Finals and the best runner-up will make-up that quartet. 4 points behind current Group A leaders Sussex, the bottom line is that the Tykes need to start winning if they are going to emulate last season’s Semi-Final appearance.

Opponents, Middlesex, are also 4 points clear having played on extra game. Yorkshire can bring the Lord’s outfit within striking range with a Sunday win.

YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE SQUAD

TBC

TOURNAMENT AVERAGES

Yorkshire batting & fielding in CB40 2011

Yorkshire bowling in CB40 2011