Carnegie lost to leaders Durham Dynamos by 39 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method at Chester-le-Street last night, minus the services of Vaughan after England selectors requested he should be rested ahead of next month's Test series with South Africa.

Yorkshire will now have to win both their remaining group games, at home to Leicestershire tomorrow and at Trent Bridge on Friday, to have any chance of reaching the last eight and a chance of playing in the £2.5m Champions League.

The ECB have said it is 'unlikely' that Vaughan will feature in Yorkshire's last two matches.

But Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan said: "We will make a decision later in the week whether Michael will play against Leicestershire. We were asked by the ECB to rest Michael to give him a bit of preparation time ahead of the forthcoming Test series."

Durham's victory all but booked their berth in the last eight, with the only good news for Yorkshire coming when news filtered through that qualification rivals Nottinghamshire lost by five runs to rock-bottom Leicestershire.

North group leaders Durham were asked to bat first at the Riverside and made a competitive 162-8, with Gerard Brophy pocketing five victims – four catches and a stumping.

Richard Pyrah, fresh from his haul of 4-20 on Sunday – a Yorkshire Twenty20 record – hit the straps again with 3-32 to take his competition tally to an impressive 14.

Only Northamptonshire's Andrew Hall (18) has taken more wickets so far.
But in reply, it was a tale of woe for Yorkshire, who – amid increasingly gloomy conditions – stumbled to 49-5 before rain ended the contest after ten overs with Jacques Rudolph marooned on 22 not out.

England's Steve Harmison put the skids under the Carnegie top order with 2-7, while another player in the international wilderness – Liam Plunkett – claimed the prized wicket of competition top-scorer Anthony McGrath.

Fourth-placed Yorkshire are level on points with final-day opponents Nottinghamshire – but behind on net run rate – while they are just a point adrift of second-placed Lancashire.