Lefties rule for Yorkshire

A dynamic opening partnership of 121 in 22 overs between left-handers Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers hurried Yorkshire to an eight-wicket victory over fellow strugglers Gloucestershire in the NatWest Pro40 at Headingley Carnegie.

The win was only Yorkshire's second this season and ensures they will not end the final edition of this competition at the foot of the Division One table.

Rudolph's unbeaten 72 off 91 balls represented his fifth half-century in seven Pro40 matches, while Sayers batted with rare freedom to make 55 from 67 deliveries with seven well-struck boundaries.

Chasing a modest 173 to win, Yorkshire never looked in any trouble as Rudolph and Sayers made rapid progress under the floodlights with Sayers matching the South African shot for shot.

The 50 came up in the 10th over and Gloucestershire were under so much pressure that by the 18th over they had called upon seven bowlers in an attempt to staunch the flow of runs.

Both batsmen brought up their fifties in the same over from Hamish Marshall but the partnership was finally broken by young pace bowler David Payne, who had Sayers caught behind cutting.

Jacques Rudolph contributed a fluent 72 to Yorkshire's largely untroubled pursuit of 173 to win at Headingley

Adam Lyth pulled former Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson for six but fell in Payne's next over, caught at backward point by Chris Taylor.

By then, however, Yorkshire were rapidly homing in on their target and skipper Anthony McGrath kept Rudolph company until the winning runs were hit with 8.5 overs remaining.

Yorkshire were splendidly served by each of their five uncapped bowlers, who made Gloucestershire work hard for their runs and kept them under constant pressure.

Steve Patterson and James Lee took three wickets apiece in career-best one-day performances and fellow paceman Lee Hodgson claimed his first two wickets for the county while Ajmal Shahzad was in menacing form with 2-19 from eight overs.

Shahzad comprehensively bowled Marshall in the third over with a fine delivery which dipped in before Patterson struck twice in the space of four balls to reduce Gloucestershire to 29 for three.

Alex Gidman hit him straight to Lyth at deep square-leg and Will Porterfield was well held by Rudolph at short cover.

So economical was Shahzad that his figures read 6-1-10-1 when he was rested, but Gloucestershire gradually recovered through a 70 stand in 13 overs between James Franklin and Taylor during which Franklin drove a free-hit off Hodgson for six over long-on.

Hodgson quickly gained revenge with a slower ball which saw Taylor gift a catch to McGrath at cover and Gloucestershire were 105 for five when Patterson returned to have David Brown caught behind by Gerard Brophy.

Franklin continued to bat fluently, reaching his fifty off 64 balls with five fours and a six, but he perished for 55, was caught behind off Lee.

Left-arm spinner David Wainwright bowled eight overs off the reel while conceding only 27 runs as Yorkshire stayed in control, with Dawson bowled by Lee and Steve Adshead suffering a similar fate against Hodgson shortly after striking him over long-on for six.

Ajmal removed Ian Saxelby with the final delivery of his second spell and Lee wrapped things up with two balls remaining when Jon Lewis was taken on the boundary by Wainwright.