A sensational match full of twists and turns ended with victory by two runs for Yorkshire over Northampton-shire at Wantage Road in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.

Rarely, if ever, have Yorkshire been involved in a one-day game played at such fever pitch throughout and it brought them their first win of the season in any competition and ended a run of ten consecutive defeats in limited-overs cricket.

Put in to bat, Yorkshire thrashed their way to 341 for three with a sparkling century from captain Craig White, then being put into the shade by one of audacious brilliance from his brother-in-law Darren Lehmann.

It seemed impossible that Northants could match this big-hitting spree, particularly after they had got off to only a steady start against the pace of Jason Gillespie and Deon Kruis.

But at 90 for three in 21 overs, captain David Sales was joined by Australian Chris Rogers and the pair began to pulverise the bowling in a stand of 215 in 26 overs, with Sales being forced to call for a runner in the later stages of his innings because of a tweaked hamstring.

Sales, renowned for his big score-making abilities, was brutal with the ferocity of his legside play and the game had swung violently Northants' way when 42 were required off the last four overs.

Tim Bresnan gave Yorkshire fresh hope by yorking Rogers for 85, from 76 balls with six fours and a six, but Sales and Lance Klusener then blasted 19 in an over from White, leaving the home side wanting just 17 in two overs.

Sales drove Richard Dawson hard to long on where Anthony McGrath pulled off a great catch to send the Northants captain back for a breathtaking 161 which came off 114 deliveries.

Dawson struck again by taking a sprawling one-handed catch off his own bowling to get rid of the potentially lethal Klusener.

Northants were favourites again at 333 for six with nine required off the final over but the cool-headed Bresnan had Phillips caught round the corner by Gillespie. The last ball arrived with Riki Wessels needing to hit five or six to win it for his side but he could only only managed two and Yorkshire had scraped home by the skin of their teeth.

It had seemed at the halfway stage of the gripping contest that Yorkshire could be the only winners after White's impeccable 112, at a run a ball with 13 fours and a six, had paved the way for Lehmann's ferocious 118 not out off only 86 deliveries with nine fours and six sixes.

White said of the match: "It was an absolutely fantastic game of cricket, one of the best I have ever played in with two of the best one-day innings from Lehmann and Sales you could ever witness. It has left me speechless."

l Yorkshire's cricketers were sad to hear the news of Yorkshire legend Freddie Trueman's battle against cancer when it filtered through to them during their Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.

Director of cricket David Byas said: "It is disturbing news but as we all know and appreciate, Fred is a fighter and he will overcome this battle just as he has overcome previous battles on the field.

"The team send him their very best wishes and hope he will make a speedy recovery. He is a Yorkshireman through and through and has made friends all over the world and they will all be hoping that he makes a complete recovery."

SCOREBOARD

Yorkshire

C White c & b Phillips 112

M Wood b Brown 36

A McGrath c Klusener b Brown 23

D Lehmann not out 118

M Lumb not out 32

Extras 20 Total 3 wkts (50 overs) 341

Fall: 1-94 2-151 3-224

Bowling: Nicholson 10-0-76-0, Klusener 10-0-73-0, Phillips 10-0-61-1, Wigley 10-0-69-0, Brown 10-0-51-2

Northamptonshire

R White run out 22

U Afzaal c Lumb b Dawson 38

B Shafayat c Dawson b Bresnan 10

D Sales c McGrath b Dawson 161

C Rogers b Bresnan 85

L Klusener c & b Dawson 5

M Wessels not out 5

B Phillips c Gillespie b Bresnan 6

M Nicholson not out 2

Extras 5 Total 7 wkts (50 overs) 339

Fall: 1-39 2-53 3-90 4-305 5-326 6-326 7-334

Bowling: Gillespie 10-0-58-0, Kruis 8-0-53-0, Bresnan 10-0-82-3, Dawson 9-0-56-3, Lehmann 10-0-44-0, White 3-0-42-0