ADAM Lyth smashed a 60-ball century as Yorkshire kick-started their limited overs season in exhilarating fashion against Northamptonshire at Scarborough yesterday.

The Vikings won their first white ball game in 2016 at the seventh attempt thanks, in the main, to Lyth’s power in pursuit of 311 in this Royal London one-day Cup clash.

The left-handed opener played his club cricket for the North Marine Road side.

And he gave the crowd of 1,630 a treat with 125 off 78 balls after the visitors had posted a challenging 310-7.

Yorkshire won by two wickets with 15 balls to spare as David Willey hit the winning runs against his former county.

Lyth hit five sixes in 18 balls either side of reaching 50 off just 32 and went on to hit eight sixes in his second career List A ton and second on this ground.

Gary Ballance’s 80 later helped to complete a first North Group win from three, setting Yorkshire up perfectly for today’s Roses floodlit clash at Emir-ates Old Trafford.

Lyth scored 80 of 97 runs in the first 10 overs of the chase, sharing 106 inside 12 for the first wicket with Alex Lees.

He slowed down following the departure of his captain.

But this innings still drew comparisons to Darren Lehmann’s famous 191 off 103 balls here against Notts in 2001 when the Australian reached 100 off 67.

After Lees got a leading edge to square-leg off Steven Crook for 20, Kane Williamson played on to Richard Gleeson, leaving the score at 132-2 in the 17th.

But Lyth, particularly strong on the drive and pull, found another ally in Ballance, with the pair sharing 57 inside nine overs.

Unfortunately, a collapse did come, but it ultimately proved to be nothing more than a scare.

Lyth was the first of three wickets to fall in nine balls as the score slipped from 189-2 in the 25th over to 192-5 in the 27th.

The left-hander skied Graeme White’s left-arm spin to long-on before Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Josh Cobb for a second-ball duck and Adil Rashid was caught at mid-on off White.

Thankfully, Ballance shared half-century stands with Tim Bresnan (38) and Willey to steady the ship before Ballance and Liam Plunkett fell with eight still needed – 303-8.

Willey, 26 not out, hit Crook for his third six to finish the match.

Lyth’s was the second century of the day following a first in List A cricket for Northants’ Ben Duckett, whose 121 off 113 balls fashioned a recovery from 35-2.

He shared 166 inside 27 overs for the third wicket with captain Alex Wakely, who posted 71.

Yorkshire’s bowling and fielded can be improved, with Wakely dropped twice on three and 38, the latter a simple catch in the deep to Ballance.

Plunkett was their best bowler with 2-33 from 10 overs, while Willey also re-turned 2-55.

Meanwhile, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are available for Friday’s T20 Blast match against Nottinghamshire at Headingley.

Root, Bairstow, Plunkett and Rashid will all then link up with England’s one-day squad on Sunday, but Willey will remain available for that day’s Blast clash with Derbyshire at Headingley in order to build match fitness after injury.