Yorkshire survived a major scare to complete a Clydesdale Bank 40 double over the Unicorns at Headingley today by chasing down 162 from 37 overs for the loss of five wickets.

After Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques had got the reply off to an impressive start at 34-0 from five overs, seamers Rob Woolley and Glen Querl struck twice apiece in 22 balls to reduce the score to 41-4.

Gale was bowled by a Woolley yorker before Adam Lyth and David Miller were caught behind off Querl either side of Jaques being caught at first slip.

And it got even worse for the White Rose when Adil Rashid, who had flicked the previous ball for a leg-side six, was trapped lbw by Paul Hindmarch to leave the score at 71-5 in the 17th.

It was a good job Gary Ballance led the rescue act with help from Azeem Rafiq, the pair sharing an unbroken 91 inside 18 overs to secure a fourth win with three overs to spare.

Ballance, who hit a ton in the match at Scarborough in May, finished with 69 not out off 83 balls and Rafiq a career-best unbeaten 34.

Yorkshire should have won this at a canter, having restricted the group’s bottom side to 150-6, thanks to three wickets for in-form leg-spinner Rashid, two for Ryan Sidebottom and one for Moin Ashraf.

Even though Rashid’s 3-24 from eight overs, including two wickets with googlies, were the pick of the home figures, Sidebottom’s display will have given the county more pleasure at the start of an important fortnight.

Ahead of Wednesday’s vital LV= County Championship against Derbyshire at Headingley, the veteran left-armer sailed through his first-team comeback following a little over six weeks out with a torn calf by bowling Bradley Wadlan with his fifth ball and getting Tom New caught behind.

Sidebottom’s second wicket was a landmark first scalp for debutant wicketkeeper Dan Hodgson.

The Unicorns would have been delighted to reach 150, having been on the ropes at 48-5 in the 15th over.

Captain Keith Parsons top-scored with 48 not out off 60 balls, sharing 46 for the sixth wicket with Luis Reece and 56 unbroken for the seventh with Woolley (28).

Ballance later reached his half-century by hitting Luke Beaven’s spin over long-off.