GARY Ballance and Jonny Tattersall were the heroes as Yorkshire maintained their Royal London One-Day Cup knockout hopes as rain set up a thrilling finish at Wantage Road.

Yorkshire were initially set 352 in 50 overs before rain between 6.40pm and 8.25pm, with the visitors at 128-1 in the 21st over and ahead on Duckworth Lewis Stern, meant a revised target of 175 in 25.

That was another 47 in 4.1 overs, of which Ballance hit 28 off 11 balls and Tattersall 14 off five, including all of the 12 needed off the last over.

Yorkshire have six points from six games and need to win their remaining two games against Worcestershire away and Durham at home to have any chance of a top three finish.

Before the rain, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (67) and Harry Brook (47) shared 109 inside 17 overs for the second wicket to put Yorkshire ahead on DLS.

Earlier, Mat Pillans claimed three wickets and Josh Poysden and Patterson two apiece as Northants were bowled out for 351.

Northants’ total was underpinned by left-handed Ricardo Vasconcelos’ maiden century - 112 off 97 balls - after they had elected to bat.

The Vikings erred early on before applying pressure and dragging things back late in an innings played out on an excellent batting surface.

South African-born Vasconcelos shared an opening stand of 118 inside 19 overs with compatriot Richard Levi (58) and 116 in 16 for the second wicket with Josh Cobb, who also made 58.

Yorkshire’s seamers were taken to task as Vasconcelos reached his century off 92 balls. He actually celebrated a ball earlier than he should have done following confusion with the official scorers and the TV broadcasters.

After Levi had holed out off Patterson, Vasconcelos miscued impressive Poysden (2-56 from 10 overs) to mid-off, probably trying to add a fourth six to 11 boundaries.

Instead, his departure left the score at 232-2 in the 35th over.

Poysden also had Cobb caught at deep mid-wicket shortly afterwards (238-3 in the 37th) before West Indies captain Jason Holder, unable to bowl due to injury, threatened further damage with a lusty 36.

However, he was trapped lbw by Matthew Waite in the 43rd over, the first of seven wickets in the last eight overs as the Vikings were given a lift heading into the pursuit.

Pillans had Alex Wakely caught at deep mid-wicket and Rob Keogh lbw within four balls in the 46th over before later bowling Ben Sanderson to end the innings in the last over.

Adam Rossington finished with 45 unbeaten off 25.

Adam Lyth fell to Sanderson at the start of Yorkshire’s chase before Kohler-Cadmore and Brook reversed the pressure with some strong striking, including a Brook six over long-off against Luke Procter’s seamers.

Kohler-Cadmore reached his fifty off 65 balls with a pulled six off Procter in the 19th over, the shot which took the Vikings ahead on DLS at 111-1.

When play resumed, Yorkshire needed 47 more off 25 balls.

Brook was caught at deep cover off the first ball of the restart (128-2) before Kohler-Cadmore was the victim of a stunning caught and bowled effort from Ian Holland running back towards mid-on as the target become 32 off two overs at 143-3.

Ballance then smashed Rob Keogh’s off-spin for three successive sixes over long-off, long-on and deep backward square-leg, only to hole out to leave the target at 14 off eight balls and then 12 off the last over before Tattersall hit a six and four off Holland to win it.

Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson said: “We’ve had three really close games this tournament and we felt luck wasn’t on our side so to come on top today was brilliant.

"It was a bit fo a rollercoaster but great to get the two points

“It was obviously going to be a tough chase but that is one of the best batting pitches we’ve played on this year and a very fast outfield so we certainly thought it was a gettable total.

“At one stage, we were looking at chasing 400 so to hold our nerve and restrict them to 350, it gave us a chance."