Clare and Derbys survive Brooks blast

Four wickets in nine balls for Jack Brooks were to no avail for Yorkshire as they lost their opening Friends Life t20 match with Derbyshire by two wickets with three balls to spare.

Having been restricted to 119 for 8 after losing the toss at Headingley, Yorkshire seemed to have pulled the game their way as Derbyshire slumped to 70 for 7 inside 13 overs after being 56 for 1. But Jon Clare, partnered by Tim Groenewald, slammed an unbeaten 35 from 29 balls in a ninth-wicket stand of 28 to see the visitors home in front of 3,700.

Chesney Hughes and Wes Durston gave Derbyshire just the start they needed with an opening stand of 40 in seven overs, Hughes blasting Brooks for two fours and a six off the second over of the innings. But Richard Pyrah, who began with a maiden, then had Durston well caught by Azeem Rafiq at gully and Shivnarine Chanderpaul held by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow attempting to cut.

Yet it was the return of Brooks that did the real damage by grabbing two wickets in each of two consecutive overs to return career-best figures in the competition of 4 for 21.

Hughes chopped into his stumps and Wayne Madsen edged a catch to Bairstow before Dan Redfern slashed and was brilliantly caught above his head at gully by Rafiq and Tom Poynton holed out to Dan Hodgson on the midwicket boundary. It got even better for Yorkshire as Rafiq's first ball was driven by Albie Morkel low to Adam Lyth at long-on and the offspinner later trapped David Wainwright lbw.

But Clare had already thumped Rafiq over long-off for six and two fours in the 18th over from Liam Plunkett added further impetus to the Derbyshire fightback, which was nearing completion when 12 came off the penultimate over.

Apart from Gary Ballance, who scored 44 from 45 balls with three fours and a six, Yorkshire's innings never really got into gear and the highest partnership they could muster was only 28 for the sixth wicket between Ballance and Pyrah.

Hodgson had threatened to break loose by smacking Groenewald for two fours and a six off four deliveries but he was run out for 17 when Bairstow, in what will be his only Twenty20 appearance for his county this season, played his second ball to point and sent back his partner who could not beat Redfern's direct hit.