Pyrah: This is the best Yorkshire Twenty20 side I've played in

Carnegie have qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition thanks to a record six wins on the spin - they defeated previously unbeaten Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last night to secure their progression.

They're one of only three county sides never to have made a T20 Finals day and the Tykes will take their place in the last-eight for only the third time.

But Pyrah, who's featured for Ossett this season while recovering from injury earlier in the year, says Carnegie are well equipped to reach the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on August 25.

"It's definitely the best Twenty20 side I've played in," he said.

"I think we've always had the players and the skill to do well but we've never really had the plan to match.

"Jason Gillespie has come in and he's been straight to the point. He has good experience from his time coaching Zimbabwe and in the Indian Premier League. We've got a good game plan this time."

Yorkshire have shown plenty of self-belief in their play this season, something instilled by Gillespie. It's helped them come out on top in tense, close-fought matches, notably the last-ball win at Leicestershire last week.

"It's a sign of a good team when you're winning matches like that," Pyrah said.

"I think we bottled it a few times in close matches in recent years so it's really good to be picking up wins in matches like that. It's even more impressive given that we're a really young team still."

Gillespie has brought in South African big-hitter David Miller and he's been key to Yorkshire's success. A knock of 54 from 30 balls was key in the Roses win over Lancashire last Friday.

"I've never seen a player hit a ball so hard, you can see why he's rated so highly," Pyrah commented.

Players such as Phil Jaques, who hit an unbeaten 58 last night, Gary Ballance and Mitchell Starc have also shone this summer. And Pyrah was also full of praise for Azeem Rafiq, who's standing in for the injured Andrew Gale as skipper.

"He's been great all year," he commented.

"To get a job like that at just 21 and to do the job he's done is fantastic."

Yorkshire won't want to take their foot off the gas in their final two T20 matches even though qualification is assured. Finishing top of the group would ensure a home match in the quarter-finals.

The Tykes will look to complete a T20 double over Lancashire when they visit Old Trafford tonight, Friday (weather permitting), before hosting Derbyshire in their final group game at Headingley on Sunday.

See this week's Wakefield Express for all the latest cricket news from around the district.