Yorkshire got back to winning ways in the Friends Life t20 with a 12-run victory over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road last night.

They posted 144 all out, with opener Joe Sayers top-scoring with 44 and Adam Lyth chipping in with 30.

But from 87-1 in the eleventh over, they lost their last nine wickets for 57 runs.

Andrew Hall, the Northants skipper, was at the heart of their slide with excellent figures of 4-23.

Yorkshire should really have been defending a total in the region of 180 after Sayers and Lyth blazed a trail through the majority of the first six overs of powerplay after Hall had elected to bowl.

But they still posted the highest score on this ground this season, and it proved to be enough.

Ajmal Shahzad (2-22) struck in his first over, trapping Bilal Shafayat lbw, before Ryan Sidebottom had Niall O'Brien caught at mid-off in his second over, leaving the score at 4-2 in the third.

And the hosts ended up stumbling to 132-7. Sidebottom finished with excellent figures of 2-18 from his four overs as the White Rose won for the first time in five matches.

Sayers and Lyth shared 71 inside seven overs for the second wicket after captain Andrew Gale departed early.

Lyth's departed, caught at short cover by James Middlebrook, then Sayers edged Lee Daggett behind, before Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root fell to completed a run of four wickets falling in consecutive overs.

Shahzad hit Middlebrook for six and four before the former Yorkshire spinner gained revenge by bowling him.

Gary Ballance was then caught behind off Hall, who also trapped Pyrah in front with his next ball.

Adil Rashid fell in identical fashion to Sayers before Sidebottom was run out going for two off the last ball.

Pyrah backed up the excellent start from Shahzad and Sidebottom with the wickets of Rob White and Alex Wakely, leaving the score at 76-4 after 13.

Johan Botha was run out before Rob Newton was trapped lbw (37).

Shahzad also bowled Hall in the penultimate over, leaving Sidebottom to successfully defend 23 off the last.