Top of the County Championship after the first six games, through to the semi-finals of the Friends Provident Trophy and now into the quarter-finals and knockout stages of the Twenty 20 Cup, it could hardly have gone much better for Darren Gough and his team.

There is still plenty of time for things to go wrong of course - and the Championship match that ended in defeat against Durham yesterday is proof. But considering all the injury setbacks and equal bad luck with the weather at times Yorkshire's season has already exceeded expectations.

The latest limited overs success came when the Carnegie men came through the north group stages in the Twenty20 Cup thanks to an impressive all-round performance in a winner take all clash with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Needing a win to ensure a third place finish in the group and needing to exact revenge for a defeat against the same opposition earlier in the competition at Headingley, it was a near flawless display of batting, bowling and fielding.

Unfortunately the same could not be said of the umpires, but Gerard Brophy (57 not out), Andrew Gale (45) and Anthony McGrath (30 not out) excelled with the bat and Adil Rashid (4-24) produced a magical little spell of bowling in a nine-wicket victory.

Yorkshire now meet north group winners Durham at The Riverside next Monday, start 5.10pm and if the game is anything like the meeting between the two sides which ended in a tie at Headingley last week it could be a classic in store.

Before then the Carnegie side play their Friends Provident Trophy semi-final against Essex at Chelmsford on Saturday (start 12.05pm), looking to give captain Gough a big Lord's send off in his final season. Essex start as favourites on home ground, but then again so did Gloucestershire in the last round so if the Yorkshire boys can recreate the spirit and performance level of their quarter-final who knows what they can achieve.