Like a silent butler, or a monarch's consort, Lancashire know well how to follow second in line. Not only have they been runners-up in five of the past ten County Championships, they have also lost ten semi-finals or finals in the eight seasons since their most recent one-day success.

This year, they seemed determined to get their disappointment in early. But an ignominious last-ball loss to Scotland a week ago gave way yesterday yesterday to a rousing revival led by Francois du Plessis, the South African all-rounder, who hit a regal, undefeated 77 from 80 balls to take them to the top of their group.

Needing 138 more at 5.92 per over, Lancashire were 76 for five when Gareth Cross, for 41, was bowled by one that turned enough from David Wainwright, the young left-armer, to hit off stump. But Du Plessis, 23, who had made a duck against Scotland in his maiden competitive Lancashire innings, added 62 in 13 overs with Luke Sutton and 57 in eight overs with Kyle Hogg, out swinging for 31 in 30 balls. When Glen Chapple arrived, with a runner, they completed the job with an over to spare.

Yorkshire, too, had begun with a whimper. Put in, they after they were 58 for four in the 15th over when Adam Lyth was outstandingly caught by Luke Sutton. Hogg bowled his ten-over quota unchanged and impressively exploited swing to return three for 27, but the recovery was led by Jacques Rudolph, Du Plessis's former team-mate with Northerns. The first of the South Africans escaped a difficult chance on 23, off Steven Croft to the wicketkeeper standing up, en route to 65 from 86 balls and shared a stand of 81 with Craig White.

As two leg-spinners, Simon Marshall and Du Plessis, briefly worked in tandem, Rudolph, sweeping and bowled behind his legs, fell to Marshall shortly before a thunderstorm reduced the match to 45 overs per side. With 45 balls to face, Yorkshire added 59 runs, 52 of them from the final five overs, and White ended unbeaten with 42 after 31 overs at the crease.

Lancashire's revised Duckworth-Lewis target was 214. The excellent Tim Bresnan had Mal Loye magnificently held by a diving Lyth at midwicket and Stuart Law caught behind off successive legitimate balls before Darren Gough removed Mohammad Yousuf and Croft, wonderfully caught and bowled, in his first three overs. But Du Plessis had not been briefed on the protocol of coming second.

Yorkshire
G L Brophy c Sutton b Hogg 18
A W Gale c Sutton b Hogg 20
A McGrath lbw b Hogg 2
J A Rudolph b Marshall 65
A Lyth c Sutton b Mahmood 2
C White not out 42
T T Bresnan c Du Plessis b Marshall 21
R M Pyrah c Cross b Croft 10
D J Wainwright not out 7

Extras (b 2, lb 5, w 6, nb 4) 17
Total (7 wkts, 45 overs) 204

*D Gough and G J Kruis did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-39, 3-44, 4-58, 5-139, 6-165, 7-176.

Bowling: Chapple 7-1-30-0; Hogg 10-3-27-3; Mahmood 9-1-47-1; Croft 8-0-42-1; Marshall 7-0-37-2; Du Plessis 4-0-14-0.

Lancashire
M B Loye c Lyth b Bresnan 15
G D Cross b Wainwright 41
*S G Law c Brophy b Bresnan 0
Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Gough 2
S J Croft c and b Gough 5
F du Plessis not out 77
L D Sutton lbw b Pyrah 17
K W Hogg c Brophy b Gough 31
G Chapple not out 13

Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 8) 15
Total (7 wkts, 44 overs) 216

S I Mahmood and S J Marshall did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-34, 3-40, 4-46, 5-76, 6-138, 7-195.

Bowling: Kruis 9-2-22-0; Bresnan 9-1-45-2; Gough 8-0-45-3; Pyrah 8-1-42-1; Wainwright 6-0-33-1; McGrath 4-0-22-0.

Umpires: T E Jesty and N A Mallender.