Yorkshire’s brittle batting continues to haunt them, and this time it cost them the cross-Pennine bragging rights after a hefty six-wicket Twenty20 Cup loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford last night.

Their fragile nature nearly cost them an opening day win against Leicestershire on Monday, but not even Ajmal Shahzad could save them as they crashed to 66-6 before rain forced the players off the field.

Only three players made it into double figures, with Michael Vaughan top scorer on 36, as the Tykes were then restricted to just 105-8 from their 20 overs.

South African Test batsman Ashwell Prince, playing just the 13th Twenty20 match of his career, then top-scored for the Red Rose county with 44 off 36 balls to help to secure the win with 27 balls to spare.

You had a fair idea that it was not going to be Yorkshire’s night from the very moment Andrew Gale plonked the first ball of the match – a waist-high full toss from occasional leg-spinner Francois du Plessis – into the hands of Steven Croft at deep square-leg.

And later Vaughan’s promising innings was ended by a stunning catch from Croft, pouched one-handed high above his head at deep mid-wicket.

Vaughan ended with a Twenty20 career-best off 31 balls, but only Rich Pyrah’s 26 not out off 29 deliveries offered to provide any staunch support.

Spin, in the form of du Plessis, Gary Keedy and Twenty20 debutant Stephen Parry (3-20 from four overs), accounted for six of the eight Yorkshire wickets.

Yorkshire, only fielding David Wainwright and Vaughan who could bowl spin, did, however, fight back in some respects with ball in hand.

Deon Kruis claimed a couple of wickets, those of Paul Horton and Croft for 21 off nine balls, while Wainwright manage to tease the in-form du Plessis to chip to skipper Anthony McGrath at mid-off.

At that point, with the hosts at 41-3 in the sixth over of their reply, Yorkshire had a sniff of an opportunity.

But that remote chance was soon snuffed out by a fourth-wicket alliance of 60 between Prince and Tom Smith, who was 22 not out.

Kruis finished as the pick of Yorkshire’s bowling with figures of 2-18 from 3.3 overs, while Shahzad and Wainwright both recorded 1-22 from three.

Tim Bresnan will be available for Yorkshire’s next fixture, a re-match with Lancashire at Headingley on Friday, after his promising Test match and one-day international spell with England.