Gloucestershire thrashed by Yorkshire in NUL relegation battle

Darren Gough led the way with three for 15 as Yorkshire Phoenix skittled Gloucestershire Gladiators for 91 at Scarborough to win by 70 runs and leave themselves with a great chance of avoiding relegation to Division Two of the Norwich Union League.

Yorkshire have now completed their programme but will have to wait until after the final round of matches before knowing for certain if they are safe - as will title-holders Gloucestershire. Yorkshire will stay up if Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Somerset Sabres and Gloucestershire don't all win their games.

Gladiators suffered a shock shortly before the game began when wicketkeeper 'Jack' Russell got struck in the face while practising and was unable to take part in the match, skipper Mark Alleyne taking his place behind the stumps. Russell was taken to hospital in Scarborough and had nine stitches inserted above his eye.

Mike Smith grabbed two wickets in his second over in a fine opening spell as Yorkshire slumped to 38 for four but they slowly recovered through a gritty fifth wicket stand of 73 in 19 overs between Darren Lehmann and Richard Blakey.

When Lehmann reached 21 it gave him 705 runs for the season and set a new record for a Yorkshire batsman in county league cricket.

The Australian was eventually caught behind off James Averis for 69 off 86 balls with five fours and a six but Blakey went on to make 52 from 93 deliveries with two boundaries before falling to the last ball of the innings.

All of Gloucestershire's five bowlers performed economically with Averis emerging with the best figures of four for 42 as Yorkshire made hard work of reaching 161 for eight.

Yorkshire's England pair of Gough and Matthew Hoggard soon knocked the stuffing out of Gloucestershire by taking two wickets apiece while the score stood on 13.

Hoggard had Tim Hancock caught at deep extra cover by Michael Vaughan before Kim Barnett pushed a catch to Lehmann at short cover in his next over while Gough, firing on all cylinders, knocked back Dominic Hewson's off-stump and three balls later pinned Matt Windows lbw.

Ryan Sidebottom made it 20 for five by getting Rob Cunliffe caught behind with his second ball to push Gloucestershire into even deeper trouble and it was left to Martyn Ball to give the score a shade of respectability by slamming 38 from 55 balls with three fours and two sixes, the big hits coming off successive deliveries from Lehmann which sailed over mid-wicket.