Yorkshire Phoenix were last night involved in their most exciting Twenty20 Cup game so far this season but once again finished up as losers as Nottinghamshire Outlaws won by just four runs at Trent Bridge.

Andrew Gale needed to hit the last ball of the match for six to bring Yorkshire their first win in four fixtures but he could only score a single - much to the delight of the majority of spectators in the 11,122 crowd.

In all three of their away matches, Yorkshire have failed to chase down a modest target and Nottinghamshire's 149 for nine was not a formidable score but only Anthony McGrath managed to take accurate bowling by the scruff of the neck.

McGrath has made a slow start in the competition but once he got into his stride he played some fine attacking shots, galloping to his half- century off 40 deliveries with three fours and a six.

But four balls later, with Yorkshire wanting 48 from five overs, he hit left-arm spinner Rob Ferley to cover where he was caught high above his head by Pudsey St Lawrence's Gareth Clough.

Unfortunately for Yorkshire their innings had got off to an inauspicious start as Gerard Brophy was lbw to Simon Francis in the first over and then Tim Bresnan was needlessly run out when Craig White declined to go for a second bye and left his partner stranded in mid-pitch.

White stroked some trademark cover drives until he gave a low return catch to Graeme Swann and it was South African Jacques Rudolph and McGrath who revived Yorkshire's hopes with a fourth-wicket stand of 55 in 14 overs.

Once again, however, Rudolph did not play enough attacking shots and there was too much to do when McGrath was out.

Notts, still unbeaten with four wins and a no result', were made to fight for their runs after winning the toss and none of their batsmen was allowed to break completely loose, Bilal Shafayat being top scorer with 31.

It was a splendid all-round match for Rudolph because he was brought on to bowl his leg-breaks for the first time for Yorkshire in Twenty20 cricket and responded with figures of three for 20, the second best ever recorded for the county in the competition.

The most pleasing bowling, however, came from left-armer David Wainwright, who calmly sent down four well-flighted overs for only 24 runs and was rewarded with his maiden Twenty20 wicket when he bowled Mark Wagh.

Yorkshire try to break their duck at Headingley Carnegie this evening when they take on Durham Dynamos.

Under new emergency regulations they have requested that their remaining home games can go on 30 minutes longer in the hope of getting a result if rain intervenes.