Table-topping Yorkshire Phoenix soared to new heights in Division One of the CGU National League at Headingley yesterday when they crushed Hampshire Hawks by eight wickets.

And assisting them in maintaining their 100 per cent record was Darren Gough who made a surprise return after England's World Cup exit.

Deadly accurate bowling restricted Hampshire to 132 for seven off their 45 overs and a scorching 115 stand between David Byas and Craig White then helped knock off the runs in only 18.3 overs.

It briefly looked as if Yorkshire's batsmen would not have all their own way when Australian Greg Blewett continued his sequence of disappointing scores by playing the third ball of the innings from Nixon McLean into his stumps.

But Byas and White quickly launched a fearful assault.

The game was as good as won when White was finally caught at short cover off Shaun Udal for a blistering 67 off just 48 balls with nine fours and two sixes while Byas was still there at the end with 46 from 50 deliveries.

Former Yorkshire paceman Peter Hartley received a generous ovation from the 5,000 crowd when he opened the bowling with McLean and it was not until the sixth over that runs began to flow freely, Byas starting the spree by hitting Hartley backward of square leg for four.

In the following over he struck three consecutive boundaries off McLean as the stand raced to 50 in ten overs.

Then White took complete charge by smashing 20 off Simon Renshaw's second over. He thumped a six over point as well as three fours and a two. His boundary off the final ball took him to 2,000 runs in this form of cricket.

Although Hartley escaped heavy punishment, Byas helped himself to another boundary during a spell in which 40 runs flowed from 19 balls.

White dashed to his half-century from 43 deliveries before driving Udal for a six which Hartley caught well over the boundary rope to great cheers from the fans.

White was left in two minds by Udal's next ball, however, which he hit gently to cover, and it was the captain who appropriately scored the winning runs with yet another boundary.

Hampshire, without injured former Yorkshire all-rounder Alex Morris, were put in to bat and had no answer to York-shire's pacemen.

Gough celebrated his return in his third over by having Giles White caught behind, but it was Chris Silverwood and Ryan Sidebottom who really got Hampshire into difficulties.

Bowling his nine overs straight of, Silverwood removed Derek Kenway, Adrian Aymes and Robin Smith.

Sidebottom proved almost impossible to score off. Three of his first four overs were maidens.

His accuracy was rewarded when he pinned Will Kendall lbw.

John Stephenson and Matthew Keech helped rescue Hampshire from 38 for five with a 53 stand before Silverwood removed Keech and put Yorkshire in total control.

Sidebottom finished with figures of 9-4-14-2.

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