AZEEM RAFIQ returned a captain’s display with the ball to get Yorkshire out of jail against Derbyshire in a lowscoring Friends Life t20 match at Chesterfield yesterday, but only just.

Standing in for the injured Andrew Gale, Rafiq’s four overs of off-spin were crucial in the Vikings’ defence of a below par 142-9. He claimed 3-22 against the county where he spent a brief loan spell in 2011.

It proved to be a thrilling contest in front of a 4,999 sellout, and having slipped from 49-0 in the eighth to 67-2 in the 12th, a target of 61 off the last six proved to be too much for the Falcons.

Albie Morkel tried his best to derail Yorkshire with ball and bat, however.

First he took career best figures of 4-25 as Yorkshire lost eight wickets for 72 runs in the last 11 overs of their innings before an unbeaten 51 off 31 balls nearly pulled the game out of the fire.

Derbyshire needed 32 off the last over with five wickets left before Morkel hit three fours and two sixes off Liam Plunkett to leave seven needed off the last ball to win and, more realistically, six for the tie.

Thankfully for Yorkshire, Plunkett held his nerve and bowled the perfect yorker with the last ball of the match to secure a six-run success and only their second North Division win from six. Derbyshire finished on 136-5.

Apart from the first five balls of the last over, Yorkshire’s death bowling was superb.

Ryan Sidebottom only conceded three off the penultimate over.

They also fielded brilliantly to suffocate Derbyshire after they had started their chase solidly.

Dan Hodgson top-scored for Yorkshire with 31 off 23 balls, and he shared 49 in 5.3 overs for the second wicket with Phil Jaques, who was only one of two other batsmen to pass 20 alongside Gary Ballance (28).

But Yorkshire slipped from 70-1 after nine overs as Morkel put the skids under them.

Hodgson and Andrew Hodd fell in the space of three balls to Morkel in the 12th over, caught at mid-off and bowled respectively. They were sandwiched in between the dismissals of Joe Sayers and Ballance, who were both caught in the deep on the leg-side off the same bowler.

It is amazing to think that these were Morkel’s best figures in his 231st match.

Nobody else in the world has played more matches in this format.

After Wes Durston retired hurt with a back injury early in Derbyshire’s chase, Rafiq had Chesney Hughes caught at cover, Dan Redfern caught at point and Billy Godleman caught on the reverse sweep.

Adil Rashid’s return of 0-21 from four overs of leg-spin was also crucial, and he bowled in tandem with Rafiq through the middle of the innings.

Meanwhile, Steve Patterson has been passed fit to return to LV County Championship action at Chesterfield on Wednesday after breaking a toe in Yorkshire’s last match against Surrey last month.

Gale will have a fitness test on his broken left hand today.