Pakistani ace Rana Naved-ul-Hasan wielded the willow in typically fearless fashion to fire Yorkshire Carnegie to an amazing Friends Provident Trophy Group C win today, by four wickets over Surrey Brown Caps at the Oval.

Pakistani ace Rana Naved-ul-Hasan wielded the willow in typically fearless fashion to fire Yorkshire Carnegie to an amazing Friends Provident Trophy Group C win today, by four wickets over Surrey Brown Caps at the Oval.

The 31 year-old bowler biffed 53 not out off 24 balls to help his side chase down a massive 330 with two balls of the 50 overs to spare. Charged with the task of taking 18 runs off the final over, bowled by former South African international Andre Nel, cavalier Rana went six, four, four, four to leave the hosts on their knees.

Even though it was a mountain the size of Everest Yorkshire had to climb to claim their fourth win of the competition, you always felt that they had a chance of getting close because the pitch was so flat, if a little slow.

Yorkshire fell to 95-3 in their chase, with Jacques Rudolph making 37, but Michael Vaughan and Adam Lyth shared a superb fourth wicket partnership 88 in ten overs to give their side a chance. This was the first indication that Yorkshire were gaining maximum practice ahead of Twenty20, going at just under nine runs per over. It certainly was not the last indication by any means.

Vaughan brought up his 50 with a straight six off leg-spinner Chris Schofield before whipping pace bowler Stuart Meaker over the mid-wicket fence. But he was trapped lbw by Alex Tudor to end his 69-ball innings of 74, which also included eight fours.

Rich Pyrah was then caught in the deep to gift Usman Afzaal his first wicket, and Lyth’s stay at the crease was ended when he heaved Afzaal to Matt Spriegel at long-on. The left-hander had hit 83 off 72, but the Tykes were 256-6 in the 43rd.

And this was when the Twenty20 preparations really kicked into gear. Adil Rashid set about a useful 38-ball 35 not out, but 74 needed was looking unlikely despite the nature of the pitch.

Rana hit six fours and two sixes in his best display of power hitting for the club, and he briefly commented: “That was a very good win. We needed it with a big total ahead of Twenty20.”

It was somewhat of a shame, but not from a Yorkshire point of view, that Scott Newman’s breathtaking 177 from 156 balls faded into the background. The burly left-hander fired his side to 329-8. Newman recorded the highest individual score in one-day cricket against Yorkshire, while the opener also helped Stewart Walters (85) to the club’s best ever second wicket partnership, 211 from 30 overs, in one-day cricket against Yorkshire.

To be fair to the visitors, and Deon Kruis in particular, they did restrict the damage by taking five late wickets for one run in eight balls. Kruis claimed three wickets in four balls in the 49th over to finish with 3-24 from eight overs. Rana finished with 3-75 from ten overs, while Pyrah recorded 2-75 from nine overs.