Anthony McGrath's first century of the season and a wicket for Darren Gough before Lancashire had scored gave Yorkshire fans every hope of a Roses victory in the Friends Provident Trophy clash at Old Trafford today.

But a century by Australian Brad Hodge, who put on 131 for the second wicket with Mal Loye, caused Yorkshire to lose their grip on the game and they were beaten by seven wickets with 26 balls remaining as Lancashire cantered to their 251 target.

It may have been a different story, however, if Andrew Gale at short backward square leg had held on to Loye's sweep off Jason Gillespie when the batsman was on 20 and Lancashire 40 for one - but from then on Lancashire held all the aces.

Although paceman Deon Kruis had recovered from his hamstring strain, Yorkshire decided to play an unchanged side but this was not a day when leg-spinner Adil Rashid was at his best and he received some harsh punishment, particularly from Hodge.

The only consolation for Rashid was that he picked up the wicket of Andy Flintoff, who drove to Gillespie at long on after making 26 and showing little discomfort from the ankle injury which had kept him out of the Lord's Test.

Dominic Cork and James Anderson, who was sent back from the Test match when not required, shared the new ball after Yorkshire had won the toss and Craig White took a blow on the wrist from Cork, an injury which prevented him from later taking the field.

White was bowled by Cork with the score on 27 when he aimed down the wrong line and from that point on the batting was dominated by McGrath, who went on to make a chanceless 135 not out off just 138 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.

McGrath is Yorkshire's only player in the Championship not to have made a half-century so far this season but it will not be long in coming if he maintains this sort of form.

He opened his account with three consecutive boundaries off Anderson, from a pull and two exquisite extra-cover drives, and then steadied down until he went to his first century in the competition off 122 balls with ten fours.

Hopes of a big Yorkshire total began to fade as tight bowling restricted the scoring but McGrath went on a spree in the last two overs, smacking Anderson for four and six and then striking two fours and a six off Sajid Mahmood.

It still seemed a reasonable total, however, as Gough sent Mark Chilton's off-stump flying with his third ball and the Yorkshire captain and Gillespie continued to bowl so tightly against Loye and Hodge that Lancashire were only 11 after nine overs.

But Loye then pulled Gough for six and Hodge also went on the rampage by belting Rashid's full toss for six and picking up Tim Bresnan high over the mid-wicket rope.

Hodge just beat his partner to the 50 mark and the stand had moved smartly on to 131 when Loye chipped back a catch to Richard Pyrah and departed for 55 from 86 deliveries with a four and two sixes.

Flintoff soon showed his power by driving Pyrah high and straight for six and Hodge completed a masterful century before Flintoff was out, the third-wicket pair having added 83 in 13 overs.

It was all too easy now for Lancashire and Hodge finished unbeaten on 141 from 133 balls with 17 fours and three sixes.

All the main seam bowlers had overs in reserve when the winning runs came and Gough on this occasion may have overused his slow bowlers, Younus Khan also sending down 5.4 overs of leg-spin for 42 runs.

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