The Bradford Mafia, assisted by South African paceman Nantie Hayward sent title holders Yorkshire crashing out of the C&G Trophy at New Road yesterday as Worcestershire toppled them by 67 runs with 8.1 overs remaining.
The man-of-the-match award went to beneficiary David Leatherdale for his career-best score of 80, plus four catches, but off-spinner Gareth Batty helped to turn the game Worcestershire's way by dismissing Michael Vaughan, and Steve Rhodes also contributed with an important 29 which took his side's score to a competitive 244 for eight.
Hayward played a big part with final figures of five for 49, leaving Yorkshire's season in tatters after so much had been promised up to its start.
Yorkshire were not helped by the late withdrawal of Anthony McGrath or by losing Matthew Hoggard to a knee injury after bowling just three deliveries, but resistance quickly crumbled in the latter part of their innings, the last six wickets crashing for 32 runs in nine overs.
Matthew Wood put Worcestershire in to bat and Darren Gough struck in the fourth over by getting Stephen Peters to mis-hit a pull to mid-on but Gough was then punished by Vikram Solanki and Graeme Hick who helped themselves to five boundaries in two overs to have him pulled out of the attack.
Hoggard came on and his first ball flew off the top edge of Hick's bat into the hands of Michael Lumb at third man but two balls later the England paceman injured his right knee during his follow through. He went gingerly back to his run-up intending to continue the over but after taking a few strides he gave up and headed slowly to the pavilion.
Ben Smith and Andrew Hall both went cheaply and when Solanki's fighting innings of 60 from 56 balls with a dozen fours was ended by off-spinner Andy Gray, who deceived him through the air, Worcestershire were 107 for five.
It became 130 for six as Batty fell lbw to Tim Bresnan but Leatherdale and Rhodes put Worcestershire back in control with a 79 stand in 15 overs before Rhodes was neatly stumped by Richard Blakey to give Michael Vaughan his first wicket of the season.
Leatherdale, so often a thorn in his native county's flesh, went on to make 80 off 87 balls with five fours and two sixes.
Yorkshire got off to the worst possible start as a ball from Hayward climbed on Lumb in the first over and Batty took a simple catch running in from mid-wicket.
Pinch-hitter Chris Silverwood managed one or two frantic blows until Hayward knocked back his stumps to bring in Wood who batted sensibly with Vaughan to put on 74 in 19 overs.
Matthew Mason deservedly ended the partnership by having Wood well caught at backward point by Leatherdale who grasped an even more valuable catch as Vaughan was outwitted by Batty and played softly to mid-wicket.
Yuvraj Singh threatened a recovery with Blakey and made encouraging progress with some wristy strokes but Hayward returned to beat him for pace and Yorkshire subsided rapidly.
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