Yorkshire salvaged much-needed pride in their final Friends Provident Twenty20 group game today - a six-wicket win over Derbyshire.

It brought to an end a run of four straight defeats in the tournament - not enough to stop them from bowing out at the group stage, but enough to give them important momentum to take into this week’s vital LV=County Championship clash at Essex.

After a tight bowling display left them with a victory target of 138, a third-wicket stand of 85 between captain Andrew Gale and Gary Ballance helped see them home with four balls to spare.

Gale, who hit 79 not out in this fixture last year, came to the crease with his team in trouble, after Herschelle Gibbs, who made five, and Adam Lyth, who made ten, had departed early to leave Yorkshire on 33-2 in the fifth over.

He soon got into his stride though, smashing four boundaries during his 56-ball innings of 55 to entertain a disappointingly small crowd at the County Ground.

Gale was ably supported by Gary Ballance throughout, who made a career-best 48 not out.

It meant that by the time the skipper was clean bowled by Charl Langeveldt in the 18th over, Yorkshire only needed 20 to win from 16 balls That soon became seven from the last over, despite Jonathan Bairstow being run out for two and, after Ballance had run a quick single, Clint McKay finished things off with a six.

The Australian had earlier taken a wicket as the Tykes attack, including youngsters Ben Sanderson and Lee Hodgson, stifled the home side.

Hodgson was particularly impressive, with figures of 2-29 from four overs, as the Tykes made sure the Falcons' final score was never going to be extended to an unmanageable amount.

Unfortunately the victory at Derby was academic, and Yorkshire’s failure to qualify for the last eight means the wait for a spot on finals day goes on.

They are now one of only four counties to have never made the showpiece event.

The inquest into how and why they dropped away so dramatically this year, after being second in the group following the ninth of 16 group games, will begin tomorrow morning.