CLYDESDALE BANK 40 GROUP B, Northampton:
Yorkshire 207-6 beat Northants 204-8 by four wickets
Match scorecard

Anthony McGrath has now hit four CB 40 fifties in nine innings this season

Anthony McGrath played the key role as Yorkshire booked their place in the semi-finals of the CB 40.

Rob White top scored with 61 for the home side as Northants ran up 204-8 at Wantage Road, Tim Bresnan taking 3-40.

But, despite slumping to 10-2, McGrath (70) turned it round in a third-wicket stand of 90 with Jacques Rudolph (54).

And although, after Gerard Brophy's 26 and Jonny Bairstow's 25, McGrath went with nine still needed, the Tykes got home on 207-6 with nine balls to spare.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat in the sunshine, Northants started brightly, Newton reaching 35 before being trapped lbw in the eighth over.

Teenage debutant Robert Keogh, 18, went cheaply for 11 when he smashed one to McGrath, Alex Wakely followed suit by sweeping to fine leg and David Sales, having scored 29, was pinned lbw.

Northamptonshire continued to limp along when their captain Andrew Hall saw his off stump clipped by Bresnan's yorker.

But White ensured that a decent target would be set, reaching his half century off 60 balls including one six pulled over square leg, before eventually holing out to deep cover.

Chasing 205, Yorkshire got off to a terrible start when their captain Andrew Gale was superbly caught at deep midwicket by debutant Keogh off Jack Brooks, who struck again in his next over when Adam Lyth, who faced eight balls without scoring, edged to wicketkeeper David Murphy.

After reaching a half century off 72 balls, Rudolph departed in the 24th over when he was caught behind off young spinner Tom Brett. And keeper Brophy threw his wicket away by smashing Brooks to Hall at short midwicket.

But McGrath hung around to complete his half-century in 68 balls.

He was helped by Bairstow hammering 25 off 19 balls before launching Lee Daggett to Wakely at long-on.

And, although McGrath finally went when Hall slipped one under his bat and onto his off stump, Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad guided their side home.

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