Yorkshire Phoenix wilted under a terrific assault from Owais Shah yesterday on their first ever visit to Southgate as Middlesex Crusaders extended their lead at the top of the second division of the totesport League.

They were then revived by a savage 96 not out from Anthony McGrath, but they still finished 16 runs short of Middlesex's 273 for six, which was the highest score they have made against Yorkshire.

Shah, who hit 81 in the first match between the sides at Headingley a month ago, was even more brutal this time, smashing an unbeaten 125 off 126 balls with five big sixes and seven fours.

Shah's chanceless innings was the joint seventh highest recorded against Yorkshire and the best since Gloucestershire's Shaun Young slammed an unbeaten146 at Headingley seven years' ago.

Put in to bat on a boiling day, Middlesex lost two quick wickets to Steve Kirby to pave the way for Shah's arrival in only the fourth over.

Both Kirby and Tim Bresnan bowled well in their opening spells before Shah cut loose and Bresnan sent down eight overs off the reel with the new ball for just 15 runs.

He was then rested and brought back for the final over but Shah made a mess of his figures by driving the last three balls of the innings for colossal sixes over long-on.

Middlesex captain Ben Hutton, grandson of Sir Leonard and son of Richard, who was at the match, partnered Shah in a third wicket stand of 71, and Shah also received solid support from James Dalrymple with 57 for the fourth wicket and David Nash with 86 in 12 overs for the fifth.

So well did Shah strike the ball that Middlesex piled up 62 off the last five overs to leave Yorkshire with a difficult task on their hands.

Ian Harvey and Matthew Wood both scored freely before getting out to Simon Cook but Yorkshire were pegged back at the other end by Australia's pace ace, Glenn McGrath, who was rested after six overs had cost him 20 runs.

Yorkshire's McGrath, who has cracked 174 in the drawn Championship match at Derby the previous day, was in the same uncompromising form and he joined Andrew Gale in a useful stand of 55 which ended when Gale was neatly held deep on the legside by Glenn McGrath for 45.

Nobody was then able to keep Anthony McGrath company for very long and there were some tame dismissals, Bresnan not having his back foot in the crease when wicketkeeper Ben Scott whipped off the bails and Ismail Dawood getting into a horrible muddle which led to him being run out.

There was still hope while McGrath survived, however, and consecutive straight sixes off Paul Weekes left Yorkshire requiring 51 from five overs.

But the return of Glenn McGrath tightened things up again and the task proved too difficult, Anthony McGrath finishing with five sixes and four fours in his 90-ball innings.

Updated: 11:17 Monday, August 02, 2004