Vaughan returns to form

Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior watches on as Michael Vaughan opens his shoulders during a wonderful innings of 82 for Yorkshire today

Michael Vaughan made a near faultless 82 as Yorkshire claimed a narrow victory in their Friends Provident Trophy clash with Sussex at Headingley Carnegie.

On a two-paced pitch which was well exploited by the Sussex seamers, Vaughan was strong in defence and quick to attack as he helped the hosts recover from a parlous 31 for three to close on 227 for five and go on to win by 14 runs.

The former England captain was forced to adopt a cautious approach early on but his patience was suitably rewarded. As well as stroking four fours over a newly-laid outfield he also hit three sixes.

Vaughan eventually fell to his 116th delivery after adding 117 for the fourth wicket with the in-form Gerard Brophy, who went on to snare five victims behind the stumps – a Yorkshire record in the competition.

Sussex appeared to have made a shrewd decision to insert Yorkshire on winning the toss and opening bowlers James Kirtley and Damien Wright both achieved plenty of movement off the seam.

Wright soon accounted for openers Andrew Gale and Jacques Rudolph as each of the left-handers deflected the ball into his stumps. Yorkshire’s plight worsened when Martin-Jenkins curved one away from skipper Anthony McGrath and had him caught behind.

Vaughan, too, almost played on to Martin-Jenkins early in his innings but he reacted quickly enough to kick the ball away in the nick of time.

It was a rare anxious moment for Vaughan, who steadily rebuilt the innings with Brophy and he moved to 20 with consecutive boundaries off Martin-Jenkins before slicing Luke Wright over the slips for four and picking up his next ball for a legside six.

Damien Wright is clean bowled by Yorkshire seamer Richard Pyrah for 13 as the hosts close in on victory at Headingley

The best of Vaughan’s three sixes was an effortless straight drive into the sightscreen while a further boundary in the same over from Damien Wright moved the stand into three figures.

After Vaughan had been dismissed, Tim Bresnan fell lbw to his first legitimate ball from Martin-Jenkins but Yorkshire were able to accelerate through an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 78 in nine overs between Brophy and Ajmal Shahzad.

Brophy ended unbeaten on 68 from 110 balls with just two boundaries to register his best one-day score for Yorkshire and Shahzad also enjoyed his highest limited overs knock, his 43 not out coming off just 26 deliveries with two fours and three powerful sixes.

Bresnan soon atoned for his batting failure by accounting for openers Ed Joyce and Joe Gatting caught behind by Brophy. He was in the thick of the action again when he pulled off a smart stumping to send back Prior from a legside wide by Steve Patterson.

Murray Goodwin and Luke Wright brought Sussex back into contention with a stand of 90 in 22 overs before both edged through to Brophy.

Bresnan then rounded off fine figures of 4-35 by getting Rory Hamilton-Brown caught at long on before deflecting a fierce drive from Mike Yardy into the stumps with new batsman Martin-Jenkins out of his crease.

The Yorkshire all-rounder damaged his hand in the process and had to leave the field for treatment.

Sussex continued to resist bravely until their last wicket went down at 213 with eight balls remaining.