Bairstow puts down a marker as Yorkshire march past Outlaws

Yorkshire 169 for 3 (Bairstow 83*, Wharton 55) beat Nottinghamshire 167 for 7 (Howell 30, Chohan 2-26) by seven wickets

Skipper Jonny Bairstow led the way with a 47-ball unbeaten 83 as Yorkshire crushed Notts Outlaws by seven wickets to launch their Vitality Blast campaign in emphatic style in front of a near-12,000 crowd at Trent Bridge.

Bairstow hit four sixes. nine fours in a commanding display, well supported by James Wharton (55 from 41) in a match-winning partnership of 144 in 80 balls, chasing a modest target of 168.

Debutant white-ball specialist Benny Howell top-scored for Notts Outlaws with 30 from 13 balls after England opener Ben Duckett made 29 from 18 but 167 always looked below par on a good pitch, spinners Jafer Chohan (two for 26), Dom Bess (two for 27). Moeen Ali (one for 19) impressing for Yorkshire.

Yorkshire's chase had a wobbly beginning. Adam Lyth hit Dillon Pennington straight to mid-off before Pakistan seamer Mohammad Ali. a last-minute addition to the Outlaws roster, removed Will Luxton with a near-unplayable leg-stump yorker, leaving them 11 for two from 10 balls.

Yet they recovered to 50 for two from six after Wharton lofted Pennington for a leg side six. took 16 off Olly Stone's first over, and Bairstow cleared the rope off Howell. At 94 for two from 10. the third-wicket pair having plundered 31 in two overs, including another maximum apiece, they looked strong favourites.

Bairstow reached 51 from 32 with his fifth four to go with a third six. bringing up the 100 partnership at the same time. Wharton then ramped Mohammad Ali for an outrageous six to bring the requirement below a run a ball in the 13th. with little the Outlaws could seemingly do to stem the flow of runs.

A huge six over the leg side by Bairstow off Pennington further emphasised his dominance. Wharton was caught behind just after completing his half-century off 39 balls but by then only 13 were needed with five overs still available, Bairstow steering Howell wide of third man for the winning boundary with three. a half overs left unused.

The Notts innings had begun with George Hill uprooting Joe Clarke's middle stump with his fourth delivery but after Duckett, making a rare appearance in this competition, had swatted a six. four fours being caught at wide mid-off, they were 53 for two from the opening six.

George Munsey, the Scotland international making his Notts debut, began strongly. may have felt he should have gone further after picking out deep backward square for 28 off 23.

Jack Haynes went for 20 off 14, slicing to backward point. Tom Moores (28 from 19) then followed the pattern of the innings in failing to build on a strong start as he found Matthew Revis on the leg side boundary to give veteran off-spinner Moeen his maiden Yorkshire wicket. After Chohan took a sharp return catch off his own bowling to remove Lyndon James for nine. Yorkshire looked in control.

Howell cleared the rope three times before being superbly caught at wide long-off from the final delivery of the 20th over - a first Yorkshire wicket for veteran Australian death bowler Andrew Tye - to give the visitors a little more of a test. To the disappointment of most in a crowd of 11,843, however, it was not nearly enough.