Yorkshire Phoenix maintained their 100 per cent winning record with a dramatic three-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks at Headingley yesterday to go top of totesport League division two.

It is the first time in six years that Yorkshire have won their first three matches in the competition.

But to do it they had to dig themselves out of trouble at 64-4 as they chased a 158 target in the 43-overs game.

They were indebted to Ian Harvey and Anthony McGrath, who got their heads down in a gritty fifth wicket partnership of 63 during which they survived a nine-over spell from Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed that gave away only 27 runs.

But then both fell in quick succession to leave Yorkshire requiring 26 from five overs.

The situation became more tense ten runs later when Richard Dawson was caught on the cover boundary off James Kirtley.

Ismail Dawood eased the pressure by stroking Kirtley's next ball through the off-side for four, but South African Johan van de Wath bowled a tight over and Yorkshire wanted nine from two overs with three wickets in hand.

Once again, Dawood calmly took control by steering Kirtley's first ball to the vacant third man boundary and whipping the next off his legs for another four to level the scores.

The winning run came when Kirtley sent down a wide.

Matthew Wood had got Yorkshire's reply off to a good start with a well struck 33, which contained six spanking boundaries.

But when he was run out and Phil Jaques chipped Luke Wright gently to mid-on in the same over Yorkshire were in trouble which deepened when Michael Lumb fell lbw to Wright.

Yorkshire put Sussex in to bat on a damp pitch following heavy overnight rain and with conditions favouring the bowlers Sussex had to work hard for their runs.

Opener Ian Wright made a solid 35 before nudging a slower ball to slip where Jaques took a great catch diving to his left but it was when Craig White introduced himself as the sixth bowler that Sussex really caved in.

His first delivery had Robin Martin-Jenkins caught behind and his sixth plucked out the off-stump of captain Chris Adams who had reined himself in to etch out 42 off 77 balls with just one boundary.

The accurate Dawson dismissed Luke Wright to make it three wickets in eight balls for only one run and after Ahmed was sensationally caught by Jaques at cover off White the innings was wound up when McGrath's direct hit on the stumps found Kirtley short of the crease.

White finished with three wickets for six runs in four overs and in the three matches to date he has claimed nine wickets in 13 overs at a cost of 52 runs.

Updated: 09:07 Monday, May 02, 2005