Rich Pyrah says Yorkshire will be using their last three Friends Life t20 group matches to build for next year’s competition, writes Graham Hardcastle.

The Vikings need a miracle to reach this season’s quarter-finals because, coupled with three wins of their own, a whole host of other results must go their way.

All-rounder Pyrah feels that Yorkshire have bowled and fielded as well as they did en-route to last year’s final, although their batting has let them down, particularly against spin through the middle overs of the innings.

He has pointed to the losses of David Miller and Joe Root as being key to a run of four defeats from seven, and has urged his batting colleagues to play with freedom as they look to build for the 2014 campaign.

Yorkshire travel across the Pennines to face Roses rivals Lancashire tonight.

“With us more or less out of the competition, it gives us a bit of freedom to experiment in the middle overs and try and get it right for next year,” said Pyrah.

“We’ll definitely go and try to win every game and you never know. But it’s going to be tough for us to get through now because other results elsewhere have got to go our way too.

“I think we’ve bowled and fielded pretty well, quite similar to how we did last year. But we’ve just missed a hitter in the middle of the innings.

“Miller’s a massive miss, and you’ve got to remember that Joe played every game for us last year and helped get us off to some really good starts. Those two are massive misses for us, and we haven’t really replaced them.

“I think it gives the lads who have played an insight into where they’ve got to improve for next year. It’s probably a couple’s first full year in t20.

“We don’t know what overseas we’re going to get for next year, so the lads need to learn about batting in the middle of the innings.”

Pyrah has been in exceptional form with the ball in Twenty20 this year, taking nine wickets from seven matches. But it is his economy rate of 5.57 runs per over that is the most impressive thing about his performances.

“Going at just over five runs per over in 26 overs of bowling is something I’m proud of,” he added.

“I’ve been quite flexible this year because I’ve bowled in the powerplay, in the middle and at the death as well. I’m obviously pleased with the way it’s gone, but disappointed it’s not got us through to the quarter-finals.”

Captain Andrew Gale will sit out tonight’s match as he continues to rest his broken left hand.