Yorkshire 104 for 2 (Lyth 55*, Malan 25) beat Worcestershire 101 (Brookes 42, Moriaty 4-25) by eight wickets
Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty made life easy for Yorkshire's star-studded batting line-up with a career best 4 for 25 as the Vikings brushed Worcestershire aside by eight wickets at Headingley to make a flying start to their Vitality Blast campaign.
Moriarty, making his Yorkshire T20 debut, put the skids under the Rapids with all four wickets during the first half of an innings which saw them bowled out for 101 in 15.4 overs. Ethan Brookes, one of only two visiting batters to reach double figures, top-scored with a middle order 42 off 32 balls.
It was little surprise when a Yorkshire top five, including current internationals Donavan Ferreira, Dawid Malan, Shan Masood and Joe Root, made light work of the meagre target. Ex-England Test opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 55 not out off 33 balls, the win sealed inside 12 overs. Root finished unbeaten on 13.
Moriarty came to Yorkshire over the winter in search of more game time. Last season, he only made one T20 appearance for Surrey - their quarter-final win at Lancashire. His only wicket was England white-ball captain Jos Buttler.
This evening, he struck twice with the new ball and returned just outside of the powerplay to add two more to ensure Yorkshire secured their first win of 2024 in all cricket, doing it in front of an 8,231 crowd.
Having been asked to bowl, the Vikings made a dream start as the Rapids slipped to 15 for 3 in the first 20 balls, including the loss of captain Brett D'Oliveira bowled trying to scoop seamer Dom Leech after four balls.
Moriarty had ex-Viking Matthew Waite stumped in the next over and debutant Josh Cobb caught at deep midwicket in the fourth.
Leech also struck twice in the powerplay - Adam Hose was caught at midwicket - and Worcestershire were in serious trouble at 21 for four in the fifth over.
Things didn't get any easier for the 2018 champions. Moriarty returned to get Tom Taylor caught behind, leaving the Rapids 33 for 5 in the seventh. Now it was just about batting 20 overs on a pitch showing signs of turn, but Worcestershire failed to do it.
Yorkshire's seam bowling stocks have been depleted by injury, so they opted to pack their side with spinners. Moriarty, Dom Bess twice and Jafer Chohan all struck.
Moriarty struck again in the ninth over, bowling Nathan Smith - 49 for six - to claim his fourth wicket. All-rounder Brookes did at least settle things down for the Rapids with his 42 filled with sweeps, reverse sweeps and ramps. He shared 43 for the seventh wicket with Gareth Roderick, who chipped in with 25.
But both men were caught at cover off Bess's off-spin in the 14th over, Worcestershire now 95 for 8. Leg-spinner Chohan then had Hayden Walsh Junior caught at long-on and Ed Pollock was run out to wrap up the innings.
Unfortunately for Worcestershire, their task from there was forlorn. Lyth and Malan shared 43 inside five overs for the first wicket. And by the time the latter fell caught at short third for 25 off Adam Finch's seam, it was nothing more than a consolatory strike.
Cobb had Masood caught at long-on shortly afterwards, before Lyth and Root eased their side home with few dramas. Lyth reached his fifty off 31 balls and hit the winning runs.
