Amy Hardcastle scored a late try to snatch a draw for Yorkshire in the second pre-season Origin match at Mount Pleasant last night, ensuring the series is still alive going into Sunday’s third and last match at Weetwood.

Lancashire, having won the opening game 15-8 last weekend, had come from 8-0 behind at half-time to lead 12-8 with tries from St Helens scrum half Zoe Harris and Abigail Eatock, Leeds’s recent recruit from the British Army.

But with five minutes remaining the Bradford and England centre Hardcastle crashed over on the left to bring the scores level – and although neither Fran Goldthorp not Georgia Roche was able to add what would have been a match-winning point from the two conversion attempts following tries in this experimental series, the draw was enough to keep Yorkshire’s hopes alive.

They may still be disappointed not to have won having scored three tries to two, with the Castleford and England flyer Kelsey Gentles claiming both of their first-half efforts – the second laid on by her Tigers team-mate Roche.

Lancashire had the goalkicking of Tara Stanley, also of Castleford, and Wigan’s Cumbrian wing Georgia Wilson to thank, as they each added a point after each of their tries from Harris and Eatock.