Yorkshire Phoenix stormed to victory by 175 runs in their day-night match at Headingley yesterday, bowling out Warwickshire Bears for their record low score in county league cricket of 59.
Their previous worst was 65 against Kent at Maidstone in 1975 and they looked like slumping well below that score as they staggered to an astonishing 12 for six inside the first half-dozen overs.
These wickets were equally shared by the dynamic duo, Chris Silverwood and Steven Kirby, Silverwood ending with four for 21 off eight overs and Kirby a career-best three for 35.
The Bears were well and truly baited in 15.2 overs and as well as taking Yorkshire out of the relegation zone in Division One of the Norwich Union League their win was the perfect tonic for tomorrow's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy quarter-final clash against the same opponents on the ground.
Warwickshire were always going to be stretched to overtake Yorkshire's 234 for six but nobody expected their demise to be so dramatically executed by Silverwood and Kirby.
With his second ball, Silverwood had Neil Carter caught behind and his next was a perfect yorker which knocked back Mark Wagh's middle stump.
Dougie Brown survived a testing hat-trick ball but there was to be no respite for Warwickshire as Kirby refused to be overshadowed by Silverwood. In his first over, Nick Knight had an ugly waft for Richard Blakey to take his second catch and in his following over Brown edged to David Byas at first slip.
The large crowd knew they would be home early when another Silverwood yorker bowled Mike Powell and David Hemp's stumps were shattered by an express delivery from Kirby.
In between the drama, Kirby had been hit for four by Knight and Trevor Penney and Keith Piper both benefited from Kirby's generosity, Penney striking one free-ball for six and Piper another for four.
The revival only lasted until Penney was run out when he and Piper were at the same end while Gary Fellows removed the bails.
Silverwood bowled Ashley Giles with a further lethal yorker and the sun had still not set when Ryan Sidebottom mopped up with the wickets of Piper and Vasbert Drakes.
Winning the toss, Yorkshire's total was shaped around a carefully constructed career-best 68 from Matthew Wood who batted from the start of the innings until the 38th over when Drakes had him caught at mid-wicket.
Wood struck six boundaries, putting on 68 in 19 overs for the second wicket with Anthony McGrath and then 63 in ten overs with Darren Lehmann.
McGrath batted soundly for his 30 before being stumped trying to hit a loose delivery well outside off-stump from Giles, and Lehmann collected five fluent fours in his 39.
Gavin Hamilton, opening with Wood, provided entertainment with a six and four fours in his 24, but the most exciting knock came from Fellows who thrashed 40.
Fellows progressed with fine shots all round the wicket and 20 runs came in one over from Giles.
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