Yorkshire Crickey by David Warner

A rousing all-round display from Darren Gough, who top-scored with 42 and took four wickets with hostile bowling, proved all in vain at Old Trafford yesterday where Yorkshire went down by three wickets to Lancashire in a fiercely fought NatWest Trophy second round match.

The defeat, with 18 balls remaining, shattered Yorkshire's dream of reaching a Lord's final for yet another season, but they were always struggling after winning the toss and then slumping to 60 for five at one stage.

Gough's defiant knock helped Yorkshire end their 60 overs on 178 for nine, and he later revived his flagging side again by ripping out two wickets in the middle of the Lancashire innings.

But nimble left-hander Neil Fairbrother, who had already reached his 50, went calmly on and Yorkshire's last chance disappeared when he was put down by Richard Blakey off Chris Silverwood for 62 with the score on 148 for six.

The game was played on the same strip which had been used for the Test match and five days of hard wear meant there was some assistance in it for the spinners, Lancashire being able to extract more out of it than their White Rose rivals.

Gary Yates and Mike Watkinson gave away only 39 and 35 respectively from their 12 overs, but the bowler to smother Yorkshire was medium-pacer Ian Austin whose final figures were an amazing 12-8-12-2.

Yorkshire's misery started when Michael Vaughan chopped Wasim Akram into his stumps and continued as Darren Lehmann was unable to beat Graham Lloyd's underarm throw from extra cover and found himself run out attempting an extravagant single.

David Byas was yorked by Wasim, Bradley Parker was bowled offering no stroke at Austin, and Blakey's uneasy struggle was over when Watkinson hit his stumps.

Anthony McGrath took advantage of an early life when his hard cut at Peter Martin was dropped by Michael Atherton at gully, but Wasim returned to have him lbw for 25 after surving for 75 balls.

Then Gough joined Gavin Hamilton whose batting has improved enormously this season and the seventh wicket pair spared Yorkshire further blushes by putting on 57 together in 19 overs.

Hamilton was lucky to be dropped by Wasim at slip early on but he did not play another false shot until he heaved across the line at Austin and lost his middle stump for a gallant 39. Gough deserved his first half century in the competition but he missed out through falling lbw to Martin.

Lancashire soon had plenty of problems of their own with Atherton being caught behind off Silverwood before he had scored, and his opening partner Andy Flintoff edging Gough to slip where Byas pulled off a stunning catch, curling his hand round the ball as he leaped to his right.

A ball from Silverwood stopped on John Crawley, who patted it gently to Lehmann, but Lloyd and Fairbrother steadily repaired the damage. They had put on exactly 100 together when Gough's double blast had Lloyd taken at slip by Byas for 40 and in the same over he splattered Mike Watkinson's stumps. It became three wickets in eight balls when the gamble of using Lehmann's left arm spin paid off, Wasim being well caught by Hamilton at short extra cover.

Warren Hegg contributed 15 in a 39 stand with Fairbrother, before Gough bowled him.

Fairbrother, however, remained in unbeaten on 76 off 165 balls to earn him the man of the match award.

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