McGrath runs riot in Yorkshire romp

Anthony McGrath eased Yorkshire's nerves with 105 not out © Getty Images

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Anthony McGrath hit his first century of the season to see Yorkshire home by seven wickets against Scotland in the Friends Provident Trophy at Headingley Carnegie.

Yorkshire must now beat Lancashire in their final group match on Wednesday to be certain of finishing top of the North Division.

Winning the toss, the Scots rattled up a spirited 244, the highest score in their last 12 matches in the competition, and they were threatening to cause an upset when they had Yorkshire on 59 for two.

But then McGrath and Jacques Rudolph put the home side in charge with a record stand for the third wicket of 164 in 29 overs and Yorkshire cruised home with 9.2 overs to spare.

McGrath, who began like an express train with a flurry of boundaries, finished unbeaten on 105 off 99 deliveries with 15 fours while Rudolph's 82 contained eight fours and a six and came off 96 balls.

The pair comfortably surpassed Yorkshire's previous best partnership for the third wicket of 132 between Matthew Wood and Michael Lumb, against Cambridgeshire at March in 2003.

McGrath was just four when he survived a sharp chance to Dewald Nel at slip off Gordon Goudie but that was the only blemish in his innings and he rattled up his first 30 runs off 15 balls.

South African left-hander Rudolph then played some dazzling shots to narrow the gap with McGrath but after hitting Goudie for four and six off consecutive balls he attempted to drive over the top and was caught at deep mid-off by Nel. The remaining runs were quickly knocked off by McGrath.

Before McGrath and Rudolph came together, Craig White fell cheaply to Nel but opening partner Andrew Gale made sure Yorkshire got up to the required rate with a rapid 33 off 36 balls, which included three fours and a six.

The Saltires were handicapped to some extent by losing former Yorkshire paceman John Blain with a shoulder injury after the opening bowler had sent down three overs for 17 runs.

Yorkshire, already reeling from a number of injuries to fast bowlers, also suffered a setback in the field when Deon Kruis was unable to complete his eighth over with a hamstring strain.

He will undergo a scan on Monday morning but he could be out of action for around a month.

Skipper Darren Gough emerged as Yorkshire's most successful bowler on the day he officially announced his retirement at the end of the season.

He took 3-40 but was struck for four boundaries before making his first breakthrough.

Another former Yorkshire player, Gavin Hamilton, got Scotland off to a good start with the bat by sharing in an opening stand of 90 with Ryan Watson, but both fell in consecutive overs.

Watson was bowled off stump by Gough after hitting him for two consecutive fours and Hamilton was taken at square-leg by Richard Pyrah off Adil Rashid.

Colin Smith ensured a respectable score with a powerful 60 off 70 balls, which contained four fours and a six.