MATCH REPORT: Last ball drama as Lightning beat Vikings in thriller
Richard Gleeson struck twice in a telling 18th over as Lancashire, defending 214, came from behind to take a giant step towards the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a thrilling Roses win by four runs at Headingley.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed 77 off 43 balls from number three, and the Vikings were in control at 184 for four in the 17th over before losing three wickets in eight balls, including David Willey for 52 caught and bowled by Gleeson, who conceded only five and struck twice (193 for seven).
Luke Wood also conceded only four in the penultimate, leaving Danny Lamb defending 17 off the last.
That became five off the last ball with Dominic Drakes on strike, and he carved out to deep backward point boundary, where Tom Hartley took a superb catch which had to be reviewed as the 11,300 crowd went silent thinking he may have stepped on the rope.
Yorkshire finished on 209 for eight as Lancashire - 213 for five - strengthened top spot in the North Group with a sixth win in seven games. This was Yorkshire’s third defeat in seven.
Singapore international Tim David crashed 66 off 32 balls, including six sixes, to push the Lightning beyond 200 having stuttered to 100 for four in the 12th over.
Yorkshire lost Dawid Malan for a golden duck after three balls of their chase before Kohler-Cadmore was quickly into stride.
Kohler-Cadmore was even not in Yorkshire’s initial squad, only a late inclusion alongside Malan after Finn Allen was ruled out with Covid and Harry Brook joined England’s Test squad earlier than expected.
Earlier, Lancashire’s David and not out Dane Vilas (41) shared 96 inside nine overs for the fifth wicket.
After Willey elected to bowl, Keaton Jennings (42) and second-wicket partner Steven Croft (41) shared 72 from 20 for one. But Yorkshire broke through three times for eight runs in 14 balls to redress the balance at 100 for four in the 12th.
Jordan Thompson’s second ball forced Croft to steer to short third before Liam Livingstone - for only two - miscued England team-mate Rashid high to midwicket. Thompson then had Jennings caught at third.
Lancashire had lost momentum on a used pitch, though it was quickly regained through Vilas and David, whose partnership included nine sixes and took 43 off Thompson’s last two overs as he recorded two for 52.
David hit three of his six sixes off Thompson in the 18th over - which went for 24 - as the score moved to 183 for four.
He reached his second Lightning fifty off 26 balls with the third of them, a low full toss arrowed straight.
He had seemingly done enough damage by the time he miscued Dominic Drakes to long-off in the penultimate (186 for five). Kohler-Cadmore, however, had other ideas.
England limited overs duo Livingstone and Luke Wood passed late fitness tests for Lancashire following injuries suffered in victory over Leicestershire 24 hours earlier.
Yorkshire, meanwhile, lost New Zealand opener Allen and Brook. Matt Parkinson was also unavailable to the visitors because of Test commitments.
Malan was caught at long-off against off Livingstone’s spin for a golden duck in the first over of Yorkshire’s chase. But it was only the briefest of blips.
Kohler-Cadmore and Adam Lyth shared a game-breaking 119 in only 9.1 overs, with the former latching onto anything short on either side of the wicket.
A ramped six over third off Gleeson was a highlight in a 25-ball fifty.
It was milestone he also reached in the tie at Emirates Old Trafford last month. By that time, the Vikings were 64 for one in the sixth over, which went for 22 from Livingstone.
Lyth supported his partner with 39 before holing out to deep square-leg off Danny Lamb - 124 for three in the 10th over. And when Kohler-Cadmore slog-swept left-arm spinner Tom Hartley to deep midwicket, Yorkshire were 152 for three in the 13th.
With only 62 more needed, it felt like job done. Not so!
Despite Willey reaching his fifty off 27 balls, Wood and Hartley strikes were supplemented by two for Gleeson in the 18th over as the score moved to 193 for seven after 17.3 overs.
He had Willey superbly caught and bowled one-handed before yorking Thompson to finish with two for 37.
Then came Wood’s superb penultimate and the drama at the end.