Ambrose helps Warks secure semi spot

Warwickshire earned an away draw against Lancashire in the semi-finals of the Clydesdale Bank 40 after a 55-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Yorkshire at Scarborough.

In a Group C game reduced to 29 overs by rain, Yorkshire found themselves chasing a revised target of 214 after Tim Ambrose had led the Warwickshire charge to 211 for 6 with an unbeaten 87 off 64 balls. Yorkshire managed 158 in deep gloom, with Warwickshire's Neil Carter coming to the fore on his first one-day appearance of the season to snap up the first three wickets at a cost of only eight runs.

With no chance of reaching the last four themselves, Yorkshire rested several senior players ahead of their important Championship match against Gloucestershire, and were led for the first time by batsman Gary Ballance, who scored a robust 68.

They also suffered misfortune early in the match when Richard Pyrah fielded a ball at backward point and injured the same hand which he broke in similar circumstances in the opening week of the season. He took no further part in the game and the extent of the injury was due to be assessed later.

Put in to bat, Warwickshire were given a sound start by Will Porterfield and Varun Chopra but with 37 scored Chopra edged an intended drive at Steve Patterson and was caught behind by Dan Hodgson. Shortly afterwards skipper Jamie Troughton gave a return catch to offspinner Joe Root.

Rain, which had already caused a brief interruption, returned to bring about a reduction in the overs, but on the resumption Warwickshire took full advantage of some wayward bowling from pacemen Iain Wardlaw and Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

The departure of Porterfield to Adil Rashid left the visitors on 83 for 3 but they quickly assumed command as Ambrose and Darren Maddy racked up 89 together in 10 overs before Maddy was caught on the long-on boundary by Root off Patterson for 44. Ambrose continued to dominate until the close of the innings and although he struck Patterson for six in the final over, the fast bowler still emerged with the excellent figures of 3 for 25 off his six overs.

Yorkshire made a dreadful start to their reply, losing Adam Lyth lbw to the fourth ball of the innings from Carter, who also bowled Root in his next over and returned after a short rest to have Alex Lees caught by Troughton. Ballance took the attack to Warwickshire with big sixes off Steffan Piolet and Ian Blackwell, but debutant Jack Leaning was bowled cutting at Paul Best and Rashid fell lbw to Piolet before he had scored.

Consecutive sixes at Best's expense rushed Ballance to a 41-ball half-century with three fours and four sixes, and he added a further four and a six before being caught on the boundary edge. Patterson and Hannon-Dalby hit out bravely in near darkness until Patterson was out with 3.5 overs remaining.