Yorkshire achieved the second highest successful run chase in their history in Vitality Blast cricket to keep alive their quarter-final qualification hopes thanks to a brilliant innings from opener Dawid Malan against Worcestershire Rapids at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The Vikings chased down a 206 target to win by six wickets yesterday in a perfectly paced innings to secure a sixth victory of the campaign with three balls to spare.
Malan was the hero with an unbeaten 93 off 50 balls with five sixes and seven fours and now fifth-placed Yorkshire will look to defeat rock-bottom Notts Outlaws in their final game at Headingley and hope results go in their favour.
The Vikings never panicked despite being well behind the required run rate at 74-1 at the half-way stage and requiring another 132 from the final 10 overs.
Adam Lyth, James Wharton and Jordan Thompson, with a late order six hitting blitz, all provided important cameos in support of Malan.
Only once have Yorkshire chased a bigger total to win, which came when they reached a 208 target against Durham at Headingley two years ago.
Worcestershire topped 200 for the first time this season thanks to aggressive batting all down the order from Brett D’Oliveira, Josh Cobb, Ethan Brookes and Rob Jones.
And the Rapids’ total would have been even higher but for another splendid performance from Vikings leg spinner Jafer Chohan.
He followed his 5-14 on his previous outing against Durham with 4-29 in another top class display from the South Asian Cricket Academy product.
Jafer Chohan's superb 4-29 kept Yorkshire in with a chance, as Worcestershire had threatened to run riot with the bat. (Image: Ray Spencer.)
Yorkshire kept faith with the side which defeated Durham before Friday’s derby with Lancashire Lightning was washed out without a ball being bowled.
Vikings captain Shan Masood won the toss and put the Rapids into bat on a fresh pitch.
Ben Cliff took the new ball and struck in his second over when Ed Pollock (10) holed out to Adam Lyth at mid on.
But a succession of boundaries from Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira and Josh Cobb meant the Rapids 50 came up in 4.2 overs.
Cobb tucked into Cliff with 4-4-6 off successive deliveries as the Rapids ended the powerplay on 67-1.
D’Oliveira carved Jordan Thompson over backward point to complete a 23 ball half century stand.
Three times in the opening seven overs the Vikings conceded 18 runs.
The introduction of Chohan ended the partnership on 64 with D’Oliveira (42 off 28 balls) easily stumped after coming down the pitch to the spinner.
Gareth Roderick then tried to reverse sweep Chohan and was bowled but the Rapids were well placed at 106-3 at the half-way stage.
Josh Cobb became Chohan’s third victim after he switched ends when picking out long off.
There was more success for Chohan when Ethan Brookes, having hit 44 off 21 balls, perished at cover.
But Rob Jones sustained the momentum for Worcestershire by making an unbeaten 35 from 25 balls.
When Yorkshire batted, Lyth and Malan played themselves against some accurate bowling from Tom Taylor and Cobb in before gradually accelerating to reach 41-0 at the end of the powerplay.
The rate climbed above 12 runs an over and Lyth was pouched out cover off Brookes with 66 on the board in the 10th over.
Malan struck former Yorkshire player Matthew Waite for six over mid-wicket to complete a 32 ball half century
Brookes came back to end a cameo 24 off 12 balls from James Wharton as he picked out long off and in the same over Donovan Ferreira went after D’Oliveira backpedalled from cover to take the catch.
Malan struck 20 off a Cobb over to reduce the target to 64 from the final five overs but Brookes had more joy when Masood found the hands of long off.
It was Worcestershire’s last success though, as Thompson delivered a series of massive blows to see his side over the finishing line with three balls to spare.
He ended unbeaten on 40 from just 14 balls, with four sixes in his innings.
Yorkshire will go through to the Blast quarter-finals with a win over Notts if third-placed Leicestershire lose their final game against leaders Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.
Failing that, the Vikings will also go through if they win and fourth-placed Northampton fail to beat Birmingham or Lancashire in their last two games.
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