Derbyshire Falcons were narrowly beaten by one run via the Duckworth-Lewis method by a strong Yorkshire Vikings side containing eight internationals at Headingley.
The visitors posted 153-9 from their 20 overs batting first with Shiv Thakor top-scoring with 30, during an important middle-over partnership with Jimmy Neesham who hit 29.
In reply, Yorkshire reached 67-3 after nine overs when the rain arrived at Headingley. The match was abandoned at 5.30pm, with the Vikings securing victory by virtue of being one run ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis par score for the over.
Having been asked to bat first, the Falcons lost Neil Broom (5) and Chesney Hughes (4) within the first four overs, to David Willey and Azeem Rafiq respectively.
Rafiq had his second before the powerplay was done, having Hamish Rutherford caught for 15 as the visitors edged to 40-3 after the first six.
Thakor was offering good resistance for the Falcons but saw Wayne Madsen fall at the other end for 10 as Karl Carver picked up his first of the game to bring Neesham to the middle.
Neesham and Thakor put on the highest partnership of the innings worth 44, to ensure their side got towards 100 in the 13th over, when Thakor was fifth man out – yorked by Tim Bresnan for 30.
Soon after, Neesham was also back in the hutch, caught by Gary Ballance off Liam Plunkett for a 29 which included three fours and a six.
Skipper Alex Hughes added late runs for the Falcons, scoring 23, but there were a flurry of late wicket as the visitors attempted to boost their score as high as possible, eventually completing their 20 overs on 153-9.
In-form Adam Lyth got the Yorkshire chase off to an explosive start, but Madsen got a breakthrough in his second over when Willey was lbw for eight.
Lyth continued to motor along as the hosts ended the six-over fielding restrictions on 51-1, but the former England opener fell three balls later when he was trapped lbw by Matt Critchley for 30 from 16 deliveries.
That brought two of the top four ranked batsmen together for the Vikings as Joe Root joined Kane Williamson. Their partnership would, however, only last nine balls as the Kiwi Captain was run out by Alex Hughes in his follow-through on 21.
The heavens opened above Headingley with Yorkshire on 67-3 at the end of the ninth over – one run ahead of the D/L par score for that over.
The rain got increasingly heavier and the match was abandoned at 5.30pm to hand the hosts victory by one run.
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