At 34 in October, Michael Vaughan is probably not contemplating too much one-day cricket. When he hears about this match, his mind may well be made up. For, although Yorkshire posted the highest 40-over score in their history, 303 for four, they managed victory only off the final ball when Dillon du Preez, needing to hit his eighth six to win, struck a four to long-off.

At 129 for five, after Paul Nixon fell for 47, Leicestershire apparently had no hope, requiring 175 more from 111 balls. But the South African arrived to take advantage of an excellent pitch and a short boundary in crashing his maiden one-day hundred from 61 balls. With Tom Smith, who hit Adil Rashid for three consecutive sixes in his 52, he added 69 in six overs and, with Claude Henderson, belted 94 more from 11 overs.

Ultimately, a steely response from Darren Gough, who bowled Henderson for 30 in the 39th over, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan denied the Foxes. A second Foxes tie of the season would have been fairer. Jacques Rudolph, with 120, and Andrew Gale, run out for 89, earlier completed a 170-run opening stand.

Scoreboard

Yorkshire
A W Gale run out 89
J A Rudolph c Kruger b Allenby 120
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan b Smith 10
C R Taylor c Dippenaar b Allenby 22
G L Brophy not out 32
T T Bresnan not out 21
Extras (w 9) 9

Total (4 wkts, 40 overs) 303

A Lyth, A U Rashid, R M Pyrah, D J Wainwright and *D Gough did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-170, 2-187, 3-245, 4-246.

Bowling: Kruger 4-0-31-0; du Preez 8-0-47-0; Cliff 6-0-47-0; Smith 8-0-46-1; Naik 2-0-17-0; Allenby 8-0-70-2; Henderson 4-0-45-0.

Leicestershire
H D Ackerman c Rudolph b Bresnan 0
J du Toit c Pyrah b Naved 15
H H Dippenaar b Naved 20
*P A Nixon b Pyrah 47
J Allenby b Pyrah 18
T C Smith c Pyrah b Bresnan 52
D du Preez not out 107
C W Henderson b Gough 30
J K H Naik not out 1
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 2, nb 6) 12

Total (7 wkts, 40 overs) 302

S J Cliff and G J P Kruger did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-29, 3-42, 4-86, 5-129, 6-198, 7-292.

Bowling: Bresnan 8-0-63-2; Naved 8-0-46-2; Gough 8-0-41-1; Pyrah 8-0-58-2; Wainwright 5-0-50-0; Rashid 3-0-40-0.

Umpires: R K Illingworth and J W Lloyds.