Yorkshire stand firm despite Hall burst

Captain Andrew Hall's four wickets were in vain as Northamptonshire slumped to a 12-run defeat to Yorkshire in the Friends Life t20 at Wantage Road.

Yorkshire collapsed from 87 for one to 144 all out from their 20 overs with Hall taking four for 23 and Joe Sayers top-scoring for the visitors by smashing 44 off 34 balls.

But an awful start to the Steelbacks' reply ensured they fell short of their target despite Alex Wakely's 38 off 33 deliveries, and they remain rock bottom of the North Group.

Northamptonshire won the toss but chose to make Yorkshire bat first and Luke Evans took the wicket of their captain Andrew Gale (7) when he was chipped to Lee Daggett at mid-on.

Adam Lyth blasted 30 off 18 balls before he clubbed Hall to James Middlebrook at mid-off in the 11th over to break a second-wicket stand of 71 with Sayers.

Sayers departed in the next over when he edged Daggett to the Steelbacks' wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien.

Jonathan Bairstow (5) then had his off and middle stumps taken out by Hall before Joe Root (8) launched Johan Botha to Wakely at long on.

England paceman Ajmal Shahzad hammered 12 off five balls before missing his attempted drive off Middlebrook and his middle stump was sent tumbling.

Hall then took two wickets in consecutive balls in the 17th over as Gary Ballance (10) sliced him to O'Brien before he trapped Richard Pyrah lbw.

Adil Rashid walked on five when he nudged Daggett to O'Brien before Ryan Sidebottom (5) was run out by Wakely at long off with the final delivery.

Chasing 145, the Steelbacks lost Bilal Shafayat for a duck in the second over when he was pinned lbw by Shahzad as it took them nine balls to get off the mark.

O'Brien made just a single before throwing his wicket away by smashing Sidebottom straight to Rafiq at mid-off.

Rob White crawled to 12 off 19 balls before being caught leg before by Pyrah to leave the hosts struggling on 27 for three, but Wakely hung around before holing out by launching Pyrah to Ballance at mid-off.

Botha was then run out for 11 when Sidebottom touched Rob Newton's straight drive on to the stumps before the same man trapped Newton lbw for 37 two balls later.

Hall (10) was bowled by Shahzad in the penultimate over, and Middlebrook and Jack Brooks - despite scoring nine each - could not recover the situation.