A makeshift Yorkshire Phoenix side made a brave attempt to defend their poor 161 for eight at Wantage Road yesterday, but went down by three wickets to Northamp-tonshire Steelers in the Nor-wich Union League.

It was Northants' first win of the season following five consecutive defeats and left Yorkshire with relegation worries of their own as they are in the bottom three.

Yorkshire were so badly hit by misfortune that they were forced to go in the match with seven uncapped players, Steven Kirby and Andy Gray making their competition debuts.

Matthew Hoggard was unable to play after a scan had revealed a stress fracture in his foot, Darren Leh-mann was nursing a badly-bruised right knee on which he will have a scan today, and Chris Silverwood was unavailable following the death of his mother.

Yorkshire knew they would have to bowl out Northants to win and attacked strongly from the start, but they could not shift the chief obstacle Mal Loye, who held firm with an unbeaten 65.

Kirby and Ryan Sidebottom were a shade wild to begin with, but Kirby collected a prize wicket at 18 when Australian Michael Hussey cut him hard and low to point where Gary Fellows dived to his right to hold a great catch.

Two balls later, David Byas dropped a sharp chance from Russell Warren at second slip and it was miss Yorkshire could not afford because he and Loye added 49 before Warren was bowled by Fellows.

Jeff Cook was caught by Matthew Wood at the second attempt at slip in the next over from Gavin Hamilton, who made it 92 for four as Byas swooped to hold on to another slip chance to get rid of Alec Swann.

Loye remained solid against pace and spin, but Richard Dawson raised Yorkshire's hopes once more with two wickets in one over to leave Northants on 120 for six, Tony Penberthy driving to Michael Lumb at mid-wicket and Graeme Swann falling lbw to his second ball.

There was no stopping Loye, however. Fellows made a career-best 67 from 108 balls for Yorkshire.