T20 Blast: Yorkshire thrash Durham at Headingley

Yorkshire Vikings posted their highest ever NatWest T20 Blast score of 223 for six to set up a 49-run victory over Durham Jets at Headingley and boost their quarter-final hopes. 

In a brave but futile attempt to reach their target, the visitors reached 174 for eight in 20 overs to make their push for a last-eight place that little bit more difficult.

Man-of-the-match Adam Lyth's blistering 87 helped Yorkshire overtake their previous-best total of 213 for seven against Worcestershire at Headingley in 2010 but he received excellent support along the way.

The Vikings' batsmen looked in better fettle than in any previous game this season and they continued to rack up the runs after Lyth and David Willey had shared an opening stand of 64 in just 4.4 overs.

Lyth began the carnage in the game's second over, which cost 17, by slamming three boundaries from Jamie Harrison and then Willey took up the challenge by smashing Usman Arshad for two fours and a six as 37 came off the first 15 deliveries.

Willey had a life on 21 when he skied Chris Rushworth and although wicketkeeper Phil Mustard ran to get under the ball at square-leg, he could not hold on to it, with Lyth then taking three fours later in the over.

Willey lofted Ryan Pringle for six over long-off but in aiming another big drive he was caught by Michael Richardson for 32 from 14 balls with three fours and two maximums.

Skipper Alex Lees turned Keaton Jennings into his stumps to make it 82 for two in the seventh over but Travis Head, in his first home appearance for the Vikings, then gave sensible support to Lyth in a third-wicket stand of 83 in nine overs.

Although Head reeled off plenty of fine strokes himself, he allowed Lyth to continue his domination of the crease and he swept Scott Borthwick for four to dash to a 32-ball half-century and take Yorkshire into three figures.

Both batsmen hit further sixes as the stand reached 50, of which Head's share was 17, but they were parted when the Australian tried to follow up with a second consecutive maximum at Harrison's expense and was caught at long-on by Gordon Muchall for 34 from 24 deliveries.

In the next over from Rushworth, Lyth was held on the boundary edge by Richardson for a career-best 87, having struck 11 fours and three sixes in his 54-ball knock. 

Yorkshire were 174 for four in the 17th over and Jack Leaning, with 32, made sure the pressure was kept on Durham by cracking three sixes in an over from Arshad, during which he was also put down on the edge by Pringle, one of seven catches of varying degrees of difficulty to be spilled during the innings.

Mark Stoneman and Mustard showed they meant business by each taking two fours from Tim Bresnan's first over but Willey then had the skipper caught at long-on by Azeem Rafiq and Durham could never quite keep up with the chase.

Calum MacLeod was well caught low at mid-off by Lees when driving at Liam Plunkett, whose four overs conceded only 13 runs, and there was a remarkable first over from left-arm spinner Karl Carver, whose first four balls brought him two wickets along with two sixes.

Mustard was held by Willey at long-on and Muchall straight drove the next two deliveries high over the rope before clipping a catch to Bresnan at midwicket, his 25 coming off 14 balls.

Yorkshire's fielding and catching were of the highest class, particularly Plunkett's diving catch at long-on to account for Jennings off Rafiq.

The umpires took Willey out of the attack when he bowled the second of two waist-high deliveries and the final ball of his spell was sent down by Head.

Arshad kept fighting right until the end by blasting two sixes in the final over from Will Rhodes before being caught for a defiant 43 from 23 balls.